Brothers
by amullonde
Summary: The two princes Mufasa and Taka have always done everything together but as they grow older, life is beginning to pull them apart. Mufasa must one day play the part of king, but Taka it seems has no place in the Pridelands. What circumstances created one of the most intense sibling rivalries ever? What changed Taka into Scar? A take on the events leading up to the 1994 Disney film.
1. A Day Like Any Other

Early morning sunlight shone down on the savannah, casting an as yet still lengthy shadow in the wake of the majestic Pride Rock. The dry wind, cool at first but growing ever warmer as the sun began its slow march across the cloudless sky, played over the tall grasses so that the landscape was covered in waving stalks of green and gold while flowering Acacia trees filled the air with their sweet perfume. Far afield, herds of animals bent their heads to graze and lashed their tails idly at the buzzing flies. Somewhere to the north a hawk made wide, predatory circles high in the air, her sharp golden eyes scanning the earth below for the hasty movements that belonged only to her prey.

The lionesses of the Pridelands were gathered around the near side of the watering hole today, lazing about in the comfortable sunshine and drowsing off and on. After a successful hunt the day before they had no pressing need to obtain more food for their pride until that evening at the very earliest, but still the other animals who came to drink gave the resting females a wide berth and wary glances as they refreshed themselves. In the center of the group the pride's queen, a russet female with a powerful build, laughed aloud with two nearby friends about a private matter, drawing curious smiles about the in-joke from nearby pride sisters.

Not far from the adults, two cubs advanced on a third. The instigator of this particular act of mischief was larger than the other two with a slightly darker pelt than the majority of the pride; her orange eyes remained fixed on her target as she stalked nearer, belly pressed against the ground. Her comrade, following at a distance, was smaller, lighter in color, and had a sea green gaze that twinkled with suppressed humor. The duo's target sat with her back to her attackers, displaying the narrow stripe that began on her forehead and ran down her shoulder blades. She raised a paw to groom her face; seeing her opportunity the lead cub crouched suddenly, wriggled her hindquarters in preparation, and then pounced!

After a surprised gasp the two went over together in a tangle of limbs and flailing tails, but the scuffle was quickly concluded. The bulkier cub pinned the thinner female beneath her and exchanged her triumphant grin with her prey's irritated glare, one made all the more intense due to her physical appearance. The cub's muzzle and the arch of her eyebrow ridges were sharp and angular and so unlike those of the other cubs in the pride and her pale beige fur was scruffy and coarse, lending her a hint of feral ferocity that was all her own.

"Get _off_ of me, Sarabi," the victim spat. Sarabi flexed her developing shoulder muscles in a casual shrug and swung her tail from side to side as though in careful consideration of the cub's demand.

"I don't know, Zira, you're pretty comfortable," she returned, peeking over her shoulder at the cub behind her. The light-pelted girl giggled appreciatively at her friend's quip.

"You're such a pain in the tail end," Zira groaned, rolling her eyes as Sarabi finally stepped off of her.

"That's _queen_ pain in the tail end," Sarabi said, swiping one of Zira's paws out from underneath her and nudging Zira off balance as she moved to regain her footing so that she fell once more. "And don't you forget it."

Zira scowled as she corrected herself again; Sarabi's friend smiled at Zira apologetically, clearly not as intent on messing with the scruffier cub as she was about merely playing with two of her peers.

"Not yet, you're not," Zira said darkly, then craned her neck to look past Sarabi at the third cub of the trio. "Hasn't she gotten tired of her stupid games yet, Sarafina?"

"'course not, Zira. You know _Sarabi,_" she grinned, shaking her head.

"And what's that supposed to mean, _Sarafina?_" Sarabi shot back.

Zira rolled her eyes once more as, laughing, the other two female cubs pounced at one another and began play-fighting. The scruffier cub tried to return to cleaning her muzzle and behind her ears but Zira found herself interrupted by the pair as they separated and then dove at one another again, rolling over and over and being general nuisances. With an exasperated snort Zira excused herself from their company and began searching for somewhere quieter to give herself a bath.

Peals of laughter emerged from the pair as they wrestled. Despite the difference in their sizes Sarafina managed to hold her own against her best friend, batting and pawing and even nipping at exposed paws and tail when the chances arose. At last Sarabi made a mistake and Sarafina, ever the quick thinker, took advantage of her friend's sudden weakness. As they rose to grapple at one another the light tan cub shifted her own center of balance at just the right moment and hurled Sarabi off her paws. The resulting tackle knocked the wind from Sarabi's lungs and she lay there stunned, Sarafina atop her beaming victoriously.

"Pinned ya! Not queen of much now, are you?" Sarafina teased, panting lightly from their scuffle.

"Get off," Sarabi grumbled, struggling to rise against the other cub's weight. "Zira will see!"

A smug grin spread across Sarafina's face.

"It'd serve you right. You pick on her too much, you know," she said in a more serious tone. Beneath her, Sarabi pulled a perfect imitation of Zira's earlier frown.

Neither Zira nor her mother, Kasiri, were native Pridelanders. They had been integrated into the pride when Zira was scarcely a newborn and from that point onward some of the lionesses hadn't taken to them well. The pair had been called Outsiders at first, but to her credit Kasiri had soldiered on against the stigma associated with rogue lionesses and proven herself a more than adequate hunter and most of the others no longer considered her beneath them. A very few, however, did not entirely agree; Sarabi's mother Hari was one of those who still harbored feelings of superiority towards Kasiri and her daughter, feelings that had been transferred to Sarabi even though the cub didn't quite understand.

"So what? Zira's annoying," Sarabi complained. Sarafina didn't think much of her friend's excuse for her behavior, honestly, but she never got the chance to tell her so. A disturbance among the lionesses made Sarafina lift her head to search for the cause, ears flicking straight ahead to listen attentively. Sarafina's eyes found Uru, the pride's current queen, as she rose from the midst of the other adults to greet an approaching lion and cub affectionately. A bright smile spread across Sarafina's face and she looked back down at her disgruntled playmate.

"They're back, Sarabi!" she grinned. Sarafina scampered off of Sarabi and left behind, though only for the moment.

"Wait for me!" the larger cub whined as she righted herself and hurried after her friend.

* * *

Ahadi, King of the Pridelands, strode forward confidently and with purpose. The great lion parted the grass around him with his massive frame and his corded muscles flexed with each step, leaving deep impressions of his paw prints in the trampled stalks in his wake. The king was the very picture of a proud and regal sovereign; he had an air of indomitability about him, an appearance of power as vast and immovable as Pride Rock itself, and he wore authority on his brow as though it were a crown. Ahadi was a just ruler but he was feared and respected at home and abroad, and rightly so. The lion was difficult to spur toward anger but it was said that when King Ahadi roared, the winds themselves changed direction to flee his wrath.

Today the King of Pride Rock had taken his eldest son Mufasa on his first circuit of his future kingdom, an important step in the boy's journey to adulthood and kingship. A month or two ago Ahadi had taken his sons, both of them, up the steep path to the pinnacle of Pride Rock and spoken at length about the lands their ancestors had claimed for their pride and how, one day, it would be their duty to guard them from strangers just as it was now his responsibility to protect them from outside dangers.

However, it was one thing to be shown their territory from a comfortable distance; it was quite another to go and walk its boundaries directly. The sooner Mufasa knew the lay of the land for himself, the better. His son needed to be ready to assume that role when the Circle of Life deemed it time for him to rise in Ahadi's place.

"Mufasa," the king called without turning his head, his voice every bit as solid and commanding as his intimidating frame. "Come."

Behind him stumbled his firstborn and heir, golden like his sire but with tufts of a reddish mane sprouting on his head and behind his ears the color of which was likely inherited from somewhere in his mother's family lineage. The cub had a similar bearing to Ahadi's own at the best of times but his large paws, indicative that one day he would be as bulky as his father before him, often got in the way and tripped him up. Ahadi did not mind Mufasa's youthful clumsiness and in fact preferred it to the lanky gait of his younger sibling, Taka, who was scrawny and tended to slink around as though he were trying to avoid being seen.

The way they moved reflected their personalities and Ahadi did not see a strong leader in his second son. Taka was a planner, to put it simply. The boy could look at a situation and understand the subtleties interwoven with what was unfolding faster and more accurately than anyone Ahadi had ever met, but that was all he could do. Mufasa was more like himself, born with the drive to turn plans into action but nowhere near as intelligent as his brother. In time, however, Ahadi believed that Mufasa would become the more capable of his two sons. This conclusion wasn't to say that Ahadi did not love both of his children equally, merely that he believed that one was the obvious choice for a successor and that he was relieved that Mufasa had been born first.

"Right behind you, dad," chirped the male cub, trotting along in his father's wake. The great lion looked over one shoulder and the corners of his mouth twitched upward in a secret smile.

It had been nearly impossible to wake Mufasa that morning – another trait he shared with his mother, thought Ahadi – but once roused from slumber the young prince was eager to head out with his father before sunrise, excited by the prospect of his first official patrol along the border. They had finished a few minutes ago and were now returning to the watering hole, the unofficial social gathering spot in the Pridelands, to meet up with the rest of their family and the other lionesses.

"Stay close, Mufasa," Ahadi admonished as his son drew level with him. "Until you are grown you are not strong enough to wander alone, even through lands that are ours by right. We have a large kingdom and not all of it may be constantly watched."

It was not unheard of for other predators to enter their kingdom in search of a meal and remain within the pride's borders for days at a time before being discovered and driven out. It was one of the hazards of laying claim to so large a territory that the outskirts were not as safe as the inner kingdom, and though they were nowhere near the edge of their lands Ahadi thought it a good idea to instill that sense of caution in Mufasa.

"Got it, dad," the golden cub answered. Ahadi nodded, then continued his lesson.

"There is great strength in numbers; it is why we lions live together in prides. One tree branch may be easily broken, but many branches together can bear any weight," he smiled down at his boy as they broke through the thick growth to reveal their destination. "Do not be ashamed to rely on others when you need them. A lion cannot rule without a pride at his back. And speaking of prides... we are back."

Mufasa gave a cheer that he quickly stifled sheepishly, but Ahadi laughed his deep, booming laugh and gestured for his son to carry on. Grinning, Mufasa ran ahead to the watering hole, glad that his father's teachings were at an end for now. The patrol had been fun in its own novel way, but the platitudes about what made a good ruler got repetitive after a while!

The circle of lionesses gathered by the watering hole offered respectful greetings to their returning king and prince as Ahadi's queen, Uru, stood to welcome them home. She bent to greet Mufasa with an affectionate lick to his forehead before he skittered off to meet his friends, then lifted her head to take in Ahadi. The two shared a very deep, very intimate gaze as Uru's gold-orange eyes held Ahadi's emerald green.

"Ahadi," she said simply, a content smile gracing her features.

"Uru," he replied softly, dipping his head in acknowledgment.

The two stepped forward and brought their heads to rest against one another's shoulders, sharing a brief but meaningful embrace. The king and queen had not seen one another at the start of their day as Ahadi and Mufasa had set out well before the majority of the pride had woken. Before they could settle in to discuss how their son's first patrol had gone, however, the boy reappeared with his friends Sarabi and Sarafina trailing after him as usual.

"Hey mom?" Mufasa interrupted, looking up at his mother the queen. With an interested smile Uru blinked down at the gold-colored cub questioningly, curiosity arching one of her eyebrows slightly as she gave him her full attention. Though she very much wanted to speak with Ahadi her own needs never took precedence over those of her children, who were precious to her above all else. Mufasa looked to the two girls, who nodded encouragingly, before addressing his mother. "I asked Sarabi and Sarafina and they both say they haven't seen him. Where's Taka?"

* * *

Alone in the semidarkness of the Pridelander dens Prince Taka, a reddish-brown colored cub with hints of his father's dark charcoal mane, sat in thought.

Today was an important milestone in his brother's life. Mufasa was to be king one day and he therefore needed to be shown the kingdom that would eventually be his to rule over. Taka had not slept last night, having laid awake thinking about the differences between him and his elder sibling. He was still awake when his father stirred, stretched, and looked for Mufasa in the darkness. Upon noting his son's green eyes watching him hopefully he had nodded silently in greeting but left it at that, departing with a very sleepy but clearly excited Mufasa at his side. He was not invited to go with them?

But then, why had their father taken him to the top of Pride Rock to let him see everything?

His mother, with whom he spent more time than his father these days, had often told him that this was the way things would need to be once the two boys got old enough. Mufasa had things to learn that he didn't need to know and their father couldn't attend to both of them in the same way, there just wasn't time. Taka had been prepared to be excluded. He just hadn't expected it to feel so... disappointing.

Until today he and his brother had always done everything together. Now they couldn't anymore? Taka didn't know what to think about that. He'd told his mother the queen that he hadn't felt like going to the watering hole with the others and so she let him remain behind, promising that if he needed her for anything she would always make time for him. Taka appreciated her understanding and the fact that she let him have his independence for the day. What he needed right now was time to himself to try and sort all of this out and he just wouldn't get that opportunity with Sarabi and Sarafina lurking around.

When the monotonous view of the inside of the cave where the pride slept began to bore Taka the cub rose and wandered onto the long stone rise that jutted out horizontally, forming a raised platform over the valley below. He and his brother had been presented to the pride and the rest of the herds from where he was standing now. It was strange, thought Taka, that they had entered the world together but now their paths were leading them apart. The young cub sat down and looked out over the kingdom – his brother's kingdom.

From his new perch he watched the pride's lionesses socializing down by the watering hole, relaxing in one another's company and the warmth of the day. Taka spotted his mother's russet pelt – the same shade as his own – in their midst and he looked on as the distinctive shape of his father joined the females, greeting the queen before any of the others. Taka knew that the much smaller golden shape bobbing around the king's feet had to be his brother, Mufasa, and that the other two cubs with him, one darker and one lighter, were their friends.

Taka suddenly regretted staying home all by himself.


	2. One Week Earlier

_One week earlier..._

* * *

"Taka! Wait for me!"

"Shh," Taka hushed, gesturing to his brother to keep low to the ground. Mufasa returned to a crouch, casting wary glances around them.

"Are you sure this will work?" the gold-pelted cub whispered. Taka fixed him with a serious look and nodded.

"You can't tell it's hollow inside so it's the perfect hiding place. Now come on," Taka cautioned.

The two hurried forward into a small clearing in the tall grass and slipped inside the hollow timber of a long dead tree with not a moment to spare. Voices rose behind them and grew nearer as they followed their trail.

"I _know_ they went this way," one said.

"Then maybe they learned how to turn invisible," the other replied, "'cause I don't see 'em anywhere."

"That's because you're not looking, see? Paw prints leading into the tall grass. They've got to be... right through here!" the cub exclaimed, leaping ahead into an empty clearing hedged on one side by a fallen tree. She blinked in confusion, then turned all around. Where were they?

"Sarabi, the mighty hunter!" Sarafina laughed as she stuck her head through the curtain of stalks separating them.

"Shut up, Sarafina," Sarabi grumbled, pushing her friend's face out of her way. "I know they're close. Keep looking!"

Inside the hollow log Taka had clapped a paw over his brother's muzzle to stifle his giggle at the shocked expression Sarabi wore when she burst into the open and the two of them weren't there. Still grinning, Mufasa brushed Taka's paw away so he could return to watching their two friends search for them through a crack in the rotting wood.

"You'll get us caught," Taka warned in a low hiss.

"Will not," Mufasa whispered back, pressing his eye to the slight opening. Taka grumbled a _will too_ under his breath but left it at that. The two remained hidden in the log for some time while Sarabi and Sarafina scouted the surrounding area. As usual, it was Sarafina who gave up first.

"This is dumb, Sarabi," she said. "How do we know they haven't lost us and gone back to Pride Rock?"

"Because," Sarabi answered vaguely, unwilling to admit defeat under any circumstances. Sarafina made a face and silently mimicked her friend's answer.

"But I'm _bored,_" the cream-colored cub complained.

"Me, too," answered Mufasa aloud. Sarabi and Sarafina sat up a little straighter and looked at one another, then turned to face the fallen log with victorious smiles. Taka raised one paw and rubbed his temple in irritation.

"Oops," Mufasa intoned. "Sorry, Taka. Taka?"

Mufasa turned around inside the hollow tree to look for the reason his brother had suddenly grown silent and saw only his ebony tail tip disappearing into a crevice on the backside of the log, one Mufasa was a bit too bulky to squeeze through.

"Hey!" Mufasa cried, but his upset at being abandoned was cut short.

"Hi, Mufasa," Sarabi called from the opening behind him. "Been here long?"

"Oh, he's been here the whole time, Sarabi," Sarafina responded from the opposite end. Mufasa was well and truly trapped.

"Do you think we should give him a sporting chance, or should we savor our victory?" Sarabi asked, tilting her head.

"Sporting chance," Sarafina said with a firm nod. "It's more fun that way."

Sarabi stood off to one side while Sarafina took a step into the hollow tree, leaving the poor cub with only one way out. Mufasa looked back and forth between the two girls. This was humiliating!

"Better run, Mufasa," Sarafina laughed. He didn't need to be told twice.

His pursuers burst into fits of giggles when he careened out of the log as though he'd sat on something extremely uncomfortable but they were hot on his tail. Sarabi vanished into the tall grass somewhere on his left so Mufasa veered to the right, knowing what was coming. True to his prediction Sarabi's sudden pounce fell short, though she managed to trip up her prey's hind legs and sent Mufasa sprawling face-first into the dirt.

"Get him, Sarafina!" she called as the golden prince pushed himself to his feet to continue running away. If he could only reach the goal, then he'd be safe. But where was Taka?

A gleam of something blue-green to the his right brought Mufasa back to the present; there, running beside him and looking almost bored except for that mischievous twinkle in her eyes, was Sarafina.

"Hi," she said, disinterested expression changing to one of predatory glee as she leapt at Mufasa. The two rolled to an eventual stop with Sarafina atop the defeated prince, her tail waving excitedly.

"Got him!" she called to Sarabi, who gave a whoop of triumph as she came trotting over.

"Lemme up," the gold-colored cub grunted.

"Fine, but you know the rules, Mufasa. All we gotta do now is catch Taka and we win," Sarafina laughed, Sarabi joining in. Mufasa scowled up at the pair.

"Not quite," a voice interrupted. All three heads turned to look at the newcomer.

"Taka!" Mufasa called, face breaking into a grin.

"We were just talking about you," Sarabi added, dropping into a crouch.

"What do you mean, 'not quite'?" Sarafina asked. Sarabi hesitated, looking back and forth between Sarafina and Taka. Mufasa's little brother cleared his throat, then began to explain.

"In addition to catching me, you have to make sure Mufasa doesn't go anywhere. The rules you two made up don't say anything about _both_ of us making it to the goal without being caught, so unless you can catch us both at the same time..." Taka's muzzle split into a sly grin.

"... then we'll lose the game," Sarafina finished, catching on quickly. Neither Taka nor Sarabi wasted any time in dashing away.

"Go, Taka, go!" Mufasa cheered from his prone position beneath his opponent.

"Stop him, Sarabi!" Sarafina yelled, forced to remain behind to keep Mufasa from escaping.

Sarabi chased Taka with a desperate fervor, giving everything she had to sprint at a breakneck speed after the fleeing prince. He was getting closer and closer to the tree the four had designated as the goal... no! He couldn't beat her, she was supposed to be a great hunter one day! Sarabi pressed herself as hard as she could and leapt at her quarry, crashing down on top of Taka and toppling him over completely. The duo skidded to a halt in a cloud of dust, both coughing.

"Nice try," Sarabi chuckled when the air had cleared.

"Safe," Taka replied, his laughing eyes flicking down and to the right.

In confusion Sarabi followed Taka's gaze down the prince's shoulder and foreleg and what she saw made a wordless howl of defeat rise in her throat. His right forepaw was pressed firmly against the base of the tree's trunk. When she was done mourning her failure Sarabi clambered off of Taka, completely out of breath.

"Pest," she scowled at him.

"Sore loser," Taka quipped back, smiling smugly.

It did not take long for the remaining two cubs to come wandering over curiously, but the final outcome of the game was made obvious by the sour expression on Sarabi's face.

"You _lost?_" Sarafina asked. Mufasa padded over and gave his younger brother a high five.

"Way to go, Taka!" he cheered.

"You lost," the lighter cub repeated. Sarabi rolled her eyes.

"Yes, _I lost,_" she shot back. "But I wouldn't have if you hadn't made me do all the work before."

"Excuse me? Which one of us caught Mufasa?" Sarafina asked defensively.

"Which one of us tripped him and made it easy?" Sarabi demanded, taking a step closer to her friend.

Taka prodded Mufasa in the ribs and began to commentate on the pair's bickering, providing the two brothers ample opportunity to giggle at the girls. A particularly loud laugh from Mufasa finally brought them out of it.

"What are you two smiling at?" Sarafina scowled. "Next time you can be the hunters and see how easy it is."

Taka grinned. "It would have been a lot easier if you had used a little strategy."

"Meaning what?" Sarabi questioned.

"You should have caught me, Sarabi, or traded places with Sarafina," Mufasa answered in his brother's place. "Sarafina's the better pouncer, we all know that. She could probably have pinned Taka sooner."

Sarabi huffed but didn't deny it; Sarafina held her head a little higher at Mufasa's appraisal of her skills.

"Mufasa's right, you know. And not only that, but you didn't use all the resources at your disposal," Taka said. The two girls looked at one another questioningly, then back to Taka.

"Zira," he explained. Sarafina nodded glumly but Sarabi scowled.

"I'm not playing with her, she's –"

"She's a numerical advantage you didn't think to leverage. Don't complain about losing if you're not going to play to win, Sarabi," Taka chided. Sarabi's frown deepened.

"This is dumb. I still say you only won because of a technicality. It isn't fair," she whined. Taka eyed his brother, then reached over and placed Mufasa's paw against the tree roots, too. Mufasa grinned innocently while Sarafina tried and failed to keep from entering another laughing fit and even Sarabi's face broke into a half-smile.

"All right, all right, but next time Sarafina and I get to be the prey. And maybe we'll invite Zira to play, too. I'd like to see how only two of you manage to pin three of us at once," she challenged.

"I think we could take you on," Mufasa said with a confident grin.

"Oh yeah?" said Sarafina. "Pretty soon we're supposed to start learning how to hunt for real. Bet you'll never beat us again, not even with Taka's craftiness on your side."

"We'll see," Taka said, "about that."

The four friends, all tired from their play session, spent the remainder of the day lounging around the base of their tree. Mufasa and Sarafina somehow managed to catch a pair of beetles that they quickly put to work racing one another in a shallow furrow they scratched into the earth, watched interestedly by Taka. Sarabi fell asleep instead, comfortable in the shade of a little hollow formed by the tree's roots as they draped over a fair-sized boulder that had been jokingly dubbed Cub Rock in honor of their home. When it came time for them to return to the adults they shook Sarabi awake, bid their insect friends a cheery farewell, and trotted off in the direction of Pride Rock. The boys led the way, a reward for their earlier victory.

"Think we can do this again tomorrow, Mufasa?" Taka asked.

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly. "I think dad wanted to have another talk with me..."

"What is dad always talking to you about, anyway?" Taka grumbled, kicking a stray pebble out of his path.

"You know," Mufasa deliberated aloud. "Things."

"No-Taka-allowed things?"

"No," Mufasa backpedaled. "Just... things. I don't know. I think he wants to take me on patrol some day soon," the golden heir confessed, partially to change the subject.

"Whoa," Taka responded with awe. "Hey, can I come too?"

Mufasa smiled. "If he does decide to bring me along, I'll ask. Promise."

Behind the two princes Sarabi and Sarafina were having a private conversation of their own, heads low and tilted toward one another so their voices wouldn't carry forward and alert Taka or Mufasa, who would both have been very interested in the words they were exchanging.

"I know you _like_ him," Sarabi was saying, "but I do, too. And I've liked him the longest, so it's only fair that he likes me back..."

"Isn't that his choice to make?" Sarafina questioned.

"No," Sarabi grinned. Sarafina arched an eyebrow.

"Well, maybe," Sarabi admitted, her ears flattening, "but my mom says it's traditional for a pride's heir to be betrothed. So, he'll have to stick with whoever his parents decide to arrange for him, and I'm pretty sure it's going to be me."

"You just want to be queen," pouted Sarafina, sounding legitimately hurt.

"Do not! Mufasa's really nice, too," Sarabi answered. Sarafina snorted.

"Yeah, that doesn't prove my point at all."

"Then what do you like about him?" Sarabi demanded.

"Well, he's fun to be around and he can be tough when he wants to be. Plus he's cute," she stifled a giggle, one that nevertheless made both Taka and Mufasa glance behind them quizzically before returning to their own discussion.

"Yeah, but what if he doesn't like you?" Sarabi asked when the coast was clear again.

"Well what if he doesn't like _you?_" Sarafina returned. Sarabi looked taken aback, but only for a moment.

"Then it's settled: we'll just have to see who he likes more. Deal?"

Sarafina looked ahead at her crush, then returned her eyes to her best friend.

"Deal."

* * *

That night in the den at Pride Rock Queen Uru lay awake in the darkness while her pride sisters and the pride's cubs slept all around her. Ahadi, returning from a meeting with one of the herd leaders that had run late, padded carefully over and around the sleeping forms of lionesses scattered around the den and laid down beside her. Uru was grateful for his presence; it brought her comfort.

She nestled back against his broad chest, laying her head beneath his chin. Uru studied her king's emerald eyes in a small rectangular piece of dark stone set before them, one flat surface of which had been buffed to a slick finish. In the dim light of the den it showcased the reflections of those nearest to it – in this case Uru with her diamond-shaped forehead marking and Ahadi with his piercing gaze.

"I have been thinking, Ahadi," the queen began in a soft whisper as the lion behind her wrapped one of his forepaws about her upper body and pulled her close.

"What about?" he asked.

"Betrothal," Uru confessed.

"Yours or mine?" Ahadi quipped. Uru smiled and swatted at his hindquarters with her tail.

"Mufasa's. He is already past the age where tradition dictates we select a future queen for him, and I worry that we may be putting off the decision for too long."

"I too have been thinking on this subject of late," Ahadi admitted, and though nothing in his voice betrayed concern a sudden tenseness in his embrace made Uru wonder.

"Does it trouble you, Ahadi?" she asked.

"In a way. This is not like your betrothal," the king answered. A playful sparkle entered Uru's gold irises.

"No," she agreed. "You were the only male cub born in my generation. Our eventual unity was a foregone conclusion."

"When I was younger I always knew there had to be a silver lining to being the only boy in a pride full of girls," Ahadi joked, gently kissing the back of Uru's head with a soft lick. She laughed softly.

"But about Mufasa," Uru persisted when the moment of humor had passed. Ahadi continued to hesitate.

"Have you someone in mind, Uru?" he responded at last.

"I have been considering Sarabi," Uru replied.

"She is both bossy and demanding," observed Ahadi immediately.

"We none of us are without our faults," she reminded her king, flashing his reflection a brilliant smile. The polished stone tablet had been procured by Uru's father Mohatu to cater to his daughter's vanity when she was much younger and not nearly as wise as she was now. Uru's mirror was no longer merely a tool to aid her narcissism, a personality defect she had long ago abandoned; it had instead become a way to reflect on what was most important to her. Every night she and Ahadi could watch one another, and their children if Mufasa and Taka chose to sleep cuddled up beside them, slowly drift into slumber.

"I concede the point," Ahadi grumbled, hoping that Uru did not see cause to remind him of his own shortcomings. "But what of Sarabi's virtues?"

"I have spent time with all of the pride's young, alone and with others," Uru elaborated. "Sarabi is a bit controlling, true, but she can be kind and considerate when she thinks nobody is looking. Furthermore, when she gives direction others follow. She is a natural leader and will be a good match for our son, of this I feel assured."

"And if she proves too headstrong for Mufasa?" Ahadi, ever the pragmatist, wanted to be absolutely certain that they were making the right choice.

"Mufasa is like his father," Uru answered cryptically. Ahadi squeezed her a little tighter.

"Good-looking?" he suggested. "Strong?"

"As a rock," the queen replied, not specifying which quality of the lion cradling her between his forelegs she was attributing to stone. It was Ahadi's turn to chuckle.

"Very well, but one thing still concerns me: Sarabi has inherited Hari's prejudices. A good queen must love everyone in her pride. If Sarabi cannot do this thing, then she is not fit to rule by Mufasa's side." Uru nodded.

"That is the only thing that makes me doubt. Sarabi never invites Zira to play with her and the others, and she does not acknowledge either Zira or her mother unless she has no other choice. She is not unkind to Zira, but neglect can sometimes hurt far worse than outright abuse. I worry, Ahadi."

A moment of silence passed between the two, but Ahadi broke it with a soft sigh.

"We cannot wait forever, Uru, I agree. But let us wait a little while longer. I mean to show Mufasa the borders soon. We can make our final decision then," he suggested. Uru nodded.

"Good night, Ahadi," she concluded, nuzzling against his chin. Ahadi returned the affectionate gesture.

"Good night, Uru."


	3. Rough Weather

Four of the lionesses of the Pridelands stalked a herd of kudu, dividing into two groups of two to set an ambush. Two large females, one with a russet pelt and a white diamond marking on her forehead and one with a dark cream-colored coat, remained downwind of the herd to serve as the anvil while the hammer, a wiry female with beige fur and a cream lioness with a slight gold tinge to her coloring, maneuvered around the grazing animals. Using briefly raised tails to signal when they were in position, the lionesses carefully coordinated their attack. At a gesture from the russet lioness the hammer sprang into action.

The kudu herd, braying in panic, scattered before the charge of the two females as they snarled and snapped their jaws at their heels. Many of the wild antelope darted out of harm's way but one, a male with a fierce-looking set of spiral horns, ran directly into the anvil half of the ambush. The two lionesses emerged with their lips drawn back and their teeth bared, trapping their prey in a circle of four. The kudu dipped its head and showcased its weapons in an attempt to intimidate itself out of the situation, but the lionesses remained undaunted.

One, the russet female, took point and distracted the larger animal with errant swipes of her paws while the dark cream lioness waited for an opportunity to strike... and pounced when the kudu exposed its neck. The other three were at her side in an instant, forcing the animal down to the ground while staying clear of its thrashing legs, which fell limp as the female with a death grip on its throat gave a sudden twist and broke its neck. From there it was a simple matter of catching their breath, then hauling their kill back to Pride Rock where cubs and lionesses not part of the rotating hunting party waited patiently.

The first kill of the day was presented to King Ahadi who graciously thanked the lionesses for providing for the pride and was the first to eat. He did not stay long, however, as he had pressing issues on the northern border to attend to: reports from birds claimed that a pair of rogues had been sighted in the area. Ahadi bid his sons, Taka and Mufasa, and his queen, Uru, a good day and departed as soon as he had had his fill. The expression he wore as he left Pride Rock reflected the sky, a dull overcast gray that promised rough weather soon.

"Don't play with your food, Taka dear," Uru chided as they ate. Taka, caught in the act of shaking a scrap of kudu meat about like a plaything while he pretended to growl ferociously, shot his mother a toothy grin from around his prize.

"'orry," he apologized while Mufasa laughed uproariously behind his back.

Although the cub had seemed rather melancholy for a few days after Ahadi had taken Mufasa around the pride borders but left him behind, he was beginning to brighten up again, to everyone's relief. Taka's recent moodiness had not gone unnoticed, particularly not by his parents. Uru especially felt reassured to see that Taka was going back to his former self even if his table manners were as disastrous as ever. The way he ate was a trait he had inherited from his father, to her dismay. If Ahadi had outgrown it, however, then perhaps there was hope for her youngest child.

The Queen of Pride Rock, noting the arrival of the remainder of the hunting party with yet another carcass, stood and stretched. She and Ahadi had discussed an important matter not long ago and she had wanted to speak about it with one of the lionesses that had just returned.

"I need a word with Hari. Excuse me, boys," the queen said, leaving her sons to finish their meal together. The minute Uru's back was turned Taka returned to his little game, making hungry lion noises while he enjoyed himself. Mufasa shook his head.

"Real princely, brother of mine," he said, helping himself to another bite while his brother swallowed.

"Like it matters what I do," Taka replied. "_You're_ just jealous that you can't mess around the same as me. You're the one they all expect to be king some day, so you'll just have to learn to live with the... implications," Taka said, trying the new word for the first time, "of your birth status."

Taka had adopted his new _less-rules-for-me_ attitude in a spirit of optimism, hoping that even though he wouldn't become king he could at least enjoy himself while Mufasa had to abide by tradition and formalities. Being king meant taking on responsibilities, and what sensible cub wanted to deal with that mess? Not Taka.

"The what?" Mufasa asked, tearing another cub-sized strip of meat from the kill.

"Implications. Sort of like hidden consequences. It means that you have to act like a prince and I don't," Taka explained.

"But Taka," Mufasa grinned. "We're both princes."

"A technicality," Taka dismissed. "I might be _a_ prince but you are _the_ prince. I hope you grow to like waking up early – dad's always awake before everyone else. It's part of his job."

And, of course, by _his job_ Taka really meant _Mufasa's future job_.

"Taka!" Mufasa whined. Taka's older brother was a notoriously late sleeper. The golden heir had thoroughly enjoyed being shown the kingdom's borders by their father, but having to be up that early had been a very difficult thing to endure. Mufasa had gone to bed early that night, tuckered out from his long day.

"Just saying," Taka teased, flicking his brother with his tail.

"So while I'm off learning how to be a king," Mufasa ignored the flicking motion, "you'll be sitting around doing whatever you feel like doing?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Taka nodded. Mufasa stared.

"But that doesn't sound like a good use of your time," the older brother said.

"Depends on your perspective," Taka reasoned evasively, swallowing another piece of kudu flesh.

"I don't get it," Mufasa admitted. "What's so great about doing nothing?"

"I'll have so much nothing to do that I can do _anything_ instead," Taka replied, bending to take another bite.

"You're so weird, Taka," Mufasa told him, smiling awkwardly and helping himself to some more meat as well. Something in his brother was changing, he felt, and he wasn't certain that he liked this new, lazier Taka. Just because he wasn't going to be king when he grew up – courtesy of the facts that Mufasa had been born first and Ahadi had named him heir to the throne – didn't mean it was okay for him to give up on doing anything. Whatever this funk was, Mufasa hoped that Taka would snap out of it soon. His little brother wasn't as much fun when he wasn't being Taka.

"You have no idea," the darker-colored cub answered happily with his mouth full.

* * *

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Hari gave the queen an expectant look.

She was not the most feminine of the Pridelander lionesses, thought Uru. Hari's frame was bulky, like Uru's, but bereft of the attractive curvature of the queen's sinewy limbs and back. She was almost blocky with a square muzzle and build; however, that was not to say she was not beautiful. Hari carried herself well with a confidence matched by few others, though right now she looked a little anxious. That was to be expected, Uru supposed, but she wished her pride sisters would stop having fits of nerves whenever she asked to speak with them in private. It was never anything serious. Didn't they trust her?

Uru continued to study Hari, trying to pick out every last one of the physical traits that she had passed on to her daughter. Her darker pelt and vibrant orange eyes seemed almost exotic among the other females in the pride. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why she resented Kasiri so – Hari had been unique until Kasiri's acceptance into the pride. Bah. That was really the only matter on which she and the lioness beside her did not see eye-to-eye, but as Hari's attitude toward Kasiri had not escalated she and Ahadi had decided to take the plunge, intent on persuading Sarabi to end her pseudo-rivalry with Zira through Mufasa's good influence.

Resolving a longstanding tension within the pride while correcting a serious attitude flaw in the heir's intended was a two-for-one deal as far as the king and queen were concerned. The way they had decided to accomplish it was probably a little backhanded and manipulative, but that was politics, no?

"I just want a word," Uru explained at last. When Hari did not appear relieved by this piece of news Uru quickly added, "You needn't worry about formalities with me, Hari. We were hunting together not half an hour ago, after all."

"Have you eaten then, Uru?" she asked, relaxing slightly.

"A little. I know you haven't eaten yet yourself, but do you think we might go for a brief walk? There's something I would like to ask you," the queen said. Hari nodded.

"But of course," the lioness answered, taking a position on Uru's right. The pair padded off a short distance into the grasses near the base of Pride Rock for a little privacy and the russet queen cleared her throat.

"Ahadi and I have been considering Mufasa's future with special regards to candidates for betrothal," she began. Uru watched Hari's eyes carefully. The lioness seemed more than a little surprised and even mouthed the word _betrothal_ once before fixing her gaze on Uru.

"My Sarabi?" she asked, suddenly breathless. Uru merely nodded.

"If you will agree to the match, Ahadi and I are prepared to make the announcement this evening. I understand that a decision like this may require some thought, but –"

"No, no," Hari interrupted. "I'm thrilled, truly I am, Uru. Thank you! I would love for Sarabi to become Mufasa's intended. There can be no higher honor, my queen!"

Uru grinned.

"But what does Sarabi think about the possibility? You should speak with your daughter, Hari, and see what she wants. It would not be fair to force her into this if it is something she is opposed to," the queen counseled.

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Hari dismissed. "Sarabi has had a crush on Mufasa for months. It's really rather adorable."

A thunderclap, much nearer than the ones that had been echoing across the Pridelands for most of the day, brought the meeting to a conclusion.

"Very well," Uru said. "I will speak to Ahadi when he returns. I'm sorry to have kept you from your meal."

"No, please think nothing of it," Hari intoned. "Imagine, my Sarabi... a queen..."

* * *

"Yeah, right!" Sarafina called.

"It's true!" protested Sarabi.

The two cubs were facing off over the leg of a fallen zebra brought in by the pride lionesses, literally butting heads over their current disagreement.

"No way could your mom take this down all by herself," Sarafina reiterated. "It's just too big. That's why the grownups go out in groups, Sarabi."

"Shows what you know. Mom's the best hunter in the pride. She definitely caught this zebra all on her own, I saw her."

"Get your eyes checked," a voice interrupted. Sarabi swung away from Sarafina to look for the source and felt the look of outraged surprise slide off her face in an instant.

"Oh. It's _you,_" she spat. Zira scowled right back at her.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she pressed on.

"Nothing worth remembering," Sarabi said dismissively. Zira rolled her eyes.

"What about the lionesses who charged the herd and split this zebra away from the others? What about the ones who made your mother's ambush possible?" Sarafina had been nodding in agreement with Zira but Sarabi merely shrugged.

"Not important. Mom got the kill, and that's all that counts."

Sarabi was well aware that Zira's mother Kasiri often performed the hunting duties that Zira had just described so it was obvious to everyone involved what Sarabi's intentions were. For a moment Zira looked like she was going to pounce Sarabi and make her take it back, but she turned on her heels and stalked off instead. Even Sarafina looked surprised at how stubborn her friend was being.

"Sarabi, what was all that about? She had a point about the hunting party's teamwork," Sarafina said. "You're acting like a spoiled brat."

"Better a spoiled brat who belongs here than a spoiled brat who doesn't," she answered loud enough for the retreating Zira to hear. Zira paused for a moment, but quickly continued on her way. Sarafina shook her head.

"I don't get you. You haven't even given her a chance," she reprimanded. "What has Zira ever done to you?"

"She's not one of us, Sarafina," Sarabi insisted. Sarafina gave her friend a curious expression and turned to leave as well. If Sarabi was going to be mean then she'd finish her meal with Mufasa and Taka instead. Sarabi settled back down to eat alongside the other adults, too involved in their own conversations to have noticed the exchange happening among the pride's youth.

"Not one of us," Sarabi repeated to herself quietly.

* * *

Zira left the shadow of Pride Rock, heading out toward the watering hole unsupervised. She hadn't eaten much but her appetite had vanished when Sarabi started mocking her mother. Why that one insisted on giving her a hard time over everything, Zira couldn't understand. Was she really so different just because she had been born outside the Pridelands?

Nobody else ever treated her badly, but thanks to Sarabi Zira couldn't say with confidence that she had any friends. The larger cub tended to browbeat anyone who wanted to include her into leaving her behind instead, or else purposely played games that required an even number of players or made sure nobody told her where they were going to make sure she was always excluded.

On more than one occasion Zira had complained to her mother about the unfairness of her situation and asked her to talk with the pride's queen about it, but Kasiri had always shaken her head gently and told her that things would get better on their own if she persisted. The lithe adult tried to explain the situation to Zira once, albeit unsuccessfully. It was a violation of some social norm to ask to be included when the pride had already gone out of its way to give them a home. They had to work their way up from the bottom of the ladder within pride society if they wanted to be acknowledged, and in a way they already had. The others would come around in time once Zira had proven herself, her mother always said.

But to a cub who had no friends and what could at best be described as a rival and at worst a nemesis, it was simply unfair. She was tired of being left out. She was tired of having to watch what the adults were doing or else make up games of pretend to play by herself. And most of all, she was tired of being picked on. She wished her mother had never brought her to this stupid pride. She wished she had somewhere to belong.

Zira sat herself down and started to cry.

* * *

Overhead, thunder rumbled and a light misty drizzle began to cascade over the Pridelands. The weather changed fast in the savannah and the humid, overcast day was giving way to what looked to be swiftly becoming the most severe storm of the season. The weather was unusual for this time of the year, however. The middle of spring was not typically accompanied by storm clouds; those were ordinarily heralds of the end of summer. Something in nature felt off, the Queen of Pride Rock thought, but she couldn't place exactly what. Perhaps a word with the mandrill hermit Rafiki about the changing winds was in order.

Uru ushered her sons into the Pridelander dens after they finished eating, not wanting either of them caught outside when the storm broke in full. The other lionesses corralled their cubs to the shelter of Pride Rock's cave as well, shooting anxious glances at the swiftly darkening sky. The Pridelander queen worried for Ahadi but knew that he had ridden out worse storms than this one. He would be back – soaked through and through, a big mess of sopping wet black mane with a grumpy attitude about him, but he _would_ return safely.

The russet queen's worries were compounded when the bulky female she had spoken with partway through the day's meal approached her, wearing a very distressed expression.

"Uru," Hari said, licking her lips anxiously. "Sarabi. She's... she's not in the den. I can't find her and none of the others know where she may have vanished to."

The red-colored lioness's mouth fell slightly open in a silent gasp of alarm as, as though to emphasize Hari's point, young Sarafina appeared at their side. Hari gave the younger cub a pleading look but Sarafina shook her head in defeat and padded away sadly, hesitantly, unsure of what else she could or should do. Composing herself, Uru smiled kindly and nodded Sarafina on toward the safety of the inner dens. The adults would be able to handle things from here.

But Sarabi's best friend, the girl she was almost never separated from, hadn't been able to find her, either. Uru frowned. Earlier Sarafina had wandered over to eat with her boys without Sarabi, but she hadn't thought anything of it at the time. Now that she knew Sarabi was unaccounted for she really began to wonder. The thought of King Ahadi caught in a rainstorm was one thing but Sarabi was a mere cub. It was only water, true, but it was not unheard of for flooding to occur in the Pridelands; too much of anything, even something as harmless as a little rain, could often spell disaster. The queen put a paw on Hari's shoulder to console her.

"It's all right, Hari," the queen said. "We'll go and look for her. Ask one of the others to meet me at the base of Pride Rock, and we'll – yes, Kasiri?"

The thinner, more angular female had approached the pair while they spoke in hushed tones and Uru did not want alarm over a missing cub to spread, so she quickly cut herself off to question the lioness.

"What do you want?" Hari snapped. Uru gave the bulky female a warning look; Kasiri flinched as though struck across the face but continued to address Uru as though she hadn't been rudely interrupted.

"It's Zira," she answered, lowering her eyes. "Zira is missing, too."

Uru set her jaw. Two misplaced cubs? And neither of them with a disposition toward wandering off alone, she noted. This was grave news. Uru was more worried by the identities of the two cubs in question. Sarabi and Zira were not likely to be found together, which meant that two search parties would need to be sent out... The reason why they hadn't remained nearby after eating would have to be looked into, but for now the pride had higher priorities. Uru made her decision immediately.

"Right. Kasiri, you come with me. Hari, find a volunteer among the lionesses and meet us outside. And don't worry," she told the two upset mothers. "We'll find them."

After formulating some quick plans to divide the area surrounding Pride Rock into two halves and carefully scouting each, both pairs of lionesses set out into the open just as the first heavy drops of rain began to fall.


	4. Confessions

Zira was still on her own and nearly to the watering hole, having paused in her journey to shed a few tears a number of times before stubbornly pressing on. She was a proud little lioness, unaccustomed to moping and feeling sorry for herself. Her youthful innocence encouraged her to let all of her bottled up feelings out, but the part of her that wanted to be acknowledged as an adult kept interrupting to insist that she stop at once, as crying was for babies.

She wasn't certain how long she had wandered through the valley surrounding Pride Rock, only that she was too far away to return immediately when the clouds overhead burst suddenly into a driving rain. Sniffling in spite of the inner voice that said it was stupid to sniffle, Zira cursed her luck and did her best to hurry homeward but in such a torrential downpour it was a wasted effort. Not only were common landmarks – paw prints, other animal tracks, and well-worn footpaths through the tall grass – completely changed by the rainwater collecting here and there in the deeper ruts left in the ground, but visibility was reduced to almost nothing in the mist tossed up as the rain pounded the savannah floor.

Zira had turned around at once to follow the precise route she had taken in reverse but was soon forced to proceed in only the general direction in which she thought Pride Rock lay, unsure if it was really the path home or not. The tall stone pinnacle blended in with the deep gray of the sky so well that it was difficult to make out from this distance, even squinting as she was. Forked lightning split the sky above her; for a moment it briefly illuminated the silhouette of her destination and she was relieved to know she was going the right way. Then the ensuing tremendous thunderclap rent the air and Zira instinctively cowered, terrified.

It was an old fear, one she had learned when she was very small, and it was one she had not yet been able to master. The sound, louder than any lion's roar, evoked distant memories in the young cub's mind – associations of vulnerability and having nowhere to seek shelter. Before settling in the Pridelands her mother had rode one such storm out in the lee of a stray boulder, clutching her tiny newborn daughter to her side against the large stone to keep her out of the harsh elements. To Kasiri's credit Zira had only gotten a little wet that night, but the lightning had left its mark on the little girl in spite of her mother's protection.

Zira crouched and, trembling, tried to get a grasp on her fear, but a successive lightning strike and boom of thunder sent her scampering pellmell toward home. She was crying again, and in her frenzied state of mind she couldn't stop herself. All she wanted to do was to get out of this rainstorm and back to her mother, who would soothe her fears away with a kind word and a soft touch. Why, oh why, had she ever left Pride Rock an hour or so earlier to begin with? Why hadn't she paid attention to the approaching weather?

In her haste Zira accidentally tripped over a tree root and landed in a puddle just as lightning flashed overhead once more. Whimpering, the striped cub covered her head with her paws and lay there in the mud.

* * *

"So Zira's missing?" Prince Taka of the Pridelands questioned.

"Yeah," answered Sarafina glumly. "During lunch she and Sarabi had kind of a... well, you know how Sarabi is."

Prince Mufasa, Taka's older brother, nodded.

"She doesn't seem to get along with Zira very well," he said, lifting a gold-furred hind paw to scratch behind one of his ears. Sarafina shook her head.

"No, not at all. She called Zira a 'spoiled brat' and said that she 'didn't belong'. Zira must have been upset and gone off alone," the cream cub sighed, then looked out toward the entrance of the den. She couldn't see the rain but she could certainly hear it. "I wish I would've stuck up for her more."

"I didn't know you and Zira were such close friends," Taka said. Sarafina shrugged, then grinned.

"It would still have been the right thing to do. And anyway, I'm everybody's friend – I hang out with you too, don't I?" she laughed. It was a short-lived laugh, though; neither Taka nor Mufasa seemed to be in a laughing mood.

"Sarabi's out there somewhere too?" Mufasa returned to the previous subject.

"Our moms are all out there looking for them," Sarafina explained. "I just wish I knew why Sarabi wandered off. Zira I think I can understand, but..."

"In her case it's a bit strange, yes," Taka agreed, looking to Mufasa for his comments on the matter. The heir simply nodded his agreement and left it at that, worrying quietly about his missing friends. When nobody else seemed keen to carry on the conversation Taka stretched, then stood.

"Well, I'm going to go and watch the storm. Do either of you want to come with me?" the russet cub asked.

"No thanks," Mufasa answered. In this weather it was a lot chillier up near the den entrance and he'd seen lightning before – Mufasa wanted to stay down here, where it was warm and dry. Sarafina likewise indicated her disinterest with a second shake of her head.

"If I see mom or the others coming back, I'll come find you and let you know," Taka promised as he split from the group.

"Thanks, Taka," his brother answered. "We'd appreciate it."

Mufasa and Sarafina sat in silence, listening to the distant sound of rainfall and the much nearer murmuring of the pride lionesses as they lounged around in the den, sleeping or talking in low voices. Mufasa wanted to go and _do_ something for Sarabi and Zira's sake but he knew a cub like him couldn't help right now. Nevertheless, being unable to do anything made him feel anxious and before he realized it the young prince was pacing back and forth, watched curiously by his remaining friend.

"You okay, Mufasa?" Sarafina asked. Mufasa hesitated, one paw still in the air.

"Just restless, I guess," he admitted. "I'm worried about Sarabi and Zira."

"Me, too," Sarafina affirmed. "I hope they're all right."

"Don't worry," Mufasa comforted in spite of his own worries as he returned to his impatient stalking back and forth. "They'll make it home okay."

Several minutes of silence passed between the two friends. Truthfully Sarafina had been waiting for an opportunity to catch Mufasa on his own even though some small part of her felt guilty for seizing her chance just now given current circumstances. The cream-colored cub worked up her nerve...

"Hey, Mufasa," Sarafina finally prompted. Mufasa looked up; she fixed him with an intent stare and bit her lower lip, suddenly more than just a little nervous.

"Yes, Sarafina?" he asked curiously. Why was she looking at him like that?

Sarafina paused briefly, then took the plunge.

"Can I ask you something?"

* * *

Sarabi huffed as she ate, watching her best friend enjoy herself with the boys and their mother. What did Sarafina know? She was too accepting, too willing to overlook problems with others. Kasiri and Zira were outsiders. They weren't part of the pride, her mother said so. On top of that Zira was always being dismissive of her, trying to ignore her or look down on her when she had no right. The way she tried to interrupt her argument with Sarafina just to make her look bad irritated the warm tan cub severely. And now Sarafina was going to take _Zira's_ side?

After she had eaten her fill Sarabi excused herself while her mother settled back down to start her meal, but she didn't wander over to chat with her three friends. Sarabi stalked off on one of the trails leading through the Pridelands instead, repeating her recent exchange with Sarafina and Zira under her breath as she stumped along through the brush. Thunder rumbled on the horizon but Sarabi ignored it for now, content to focus on the thunder rumbling within.

Her own best friend had called her a _spoiled brat_ and then left her side to go hang out with the others. She didn't understand it. Not even Mufasa or Taka seemed to mind Zira's presence in the pride; it was only she who took issue with the striped girl. For one thing she was potential competition for Mufasa – or, more likely, for Mufasa's attention. Sarabi very much doubted whether his royal parents would approve of a betrothal to an outsider even if they were willing to accept two of them as members of the pride, but that still didn't rule out Mufasa taking a liking to her on his own, a thought that made Sarabi growl to herself while her tail curled inward.

But even if she wasn't another prospect for the golden heir to pursue Zira just plain irritated Sarabi. She thought she knew so much about everything, and the way she acted so haughty in the first place – unless the boys were involved, Sarabi had noticed! – really got under her skin. They had never gotten along, not even before Sarabi had been told to stay away from "that outsider cub" by her mother. That had just been a convenient excuse – no, not an excuse. That had just been a revelation of the reason why Sarabi's dislike of the other girl was justified. Hadn't it?

Sarabi did her best to quash that teeny, tiny little voice inside her that whispered that maybe she didn't have any good reasons to dislike Zira as she arrived at the four friends' "Cub Rock." She had once used the same hollow beside it to nap while Sarafina and the princes played some other game with bugs and as it was the driest-looking spot she could find it was a welcome reprieve from the light misty drizzle going on around her. Shaking any excess moisture off of her pelt, the darker cub lay down in the natural shelter. Zira hadn't been with them then, either, as Sarabi had insisted the game they wanted to play required even teams (a fact that Taka had taken full advantage of which of course led to the girls losing).

If she had been able to swallow her pride that day and had let Zira come with her and Sarafina the three of them would have utterly humiliated the two princes. Mufasa's inattentiveness had been more than compensated for by Taka's ingenuity, but not even the younger brother's craftiness would have spared them from defeat. Zira was pretty crafty in her own right if the way she understood hunting was any indication; her mother had begun her tutoring at a much younger age than was typical in the Pridelands, giving her a head start on the other young females.

Sarabi sighed in annoyance and gathered her tail in out of the wet as the storm abruptly intensified, dropping rain so hard and fast that each drop left a small round imprint on the rich earth below as it fell. Her mother would likely be very upset that she wasn't at home with the other cubs, but she wasn't stupid enough to go wandering around in a storm this severe to try and go back now. She just hoped she wouldn't be disciplined for not remaining near Pride Rock. How was she supposed to know it was going to rain like this? It wasn't the season for this kind of weather, all the grown-ups had been saying so all day long.

A flash of lightning from somewhere behind Sarabi's shelter, the rough direction of Pride Rock, lit up the landscape before her and for a moment the cub thought she saw movement through the wildly waving grass and the cascading rain. Sarabi sat a little more upright, ears turning directly forward as they strained to listen through the thunderclap sounding overhead. The cub had never been one to give in to fear but she was now definitely spooked.

"Hello?" Sarabi called into the storm. She received no answer except perhaps for a second lightning strike and successive rumble of thunder.

This time she definitely caught a flash of movement. More than a flash, as it turned out; the shape of a small cub, fear etched on her sharp features, came skittering into view. One of her forelegs got caught on a tangle of roots that had been exposed by the rainwater and she landed face first in a murky puddle. With a start Sarabi realized that she _knew_ that cub.

"Zira?" Sarabi called, hopefully loud enough to be overheard. What was Zira doing out here?

* * *

"What if we can't find them, Your Majesty?"

"Please calm yourself, Kasiri," Uru replied gently, though she had to raise her voice considerably to make it audible over the storm. "Your daughter can't have gone far, and Hari and Safi are searching for her as well."

Kasiri did not look particularly comforted to know that the lioness who still openly despised her was part of the search parties looking for her little one. Sensing what her companion was thinking Uru placed a paw on the other lioness's shoulder and drew her head in close.

"Don't worry. I know her, and Hari could never allow a cub to come to harm. I swear it," the queen vowed. Kasiri bowed her head in acquiescence, but her fears were not fully assuaged.

"I just wish I had her here," she mumbled, almost soft enough to escape the queen's hearing. "Zira is my everything, Uru. She's all I have left..."

Uru gave Kasiri a soft squeeze, pulling her close for a few moments as a sister might have. Uru did not know the circumstances of Kasiri's life or the reasons why she was found with an infant cub on Pridelander borders one day, but the Queen of Pride Rock understood precisely what Kasiri meant about her cub. If she ever lost Mufasa or Taka she would be devastated. Uru tried to communicate through her embrace the reassurance and affection that Kasiri needed and was relieved when the other lioness, once called outsider by nearly the entire pride, did not pull away.

"Shhh," she crooned as she often had done when her own children were upset or afraid. "I, too, am a mother. Take courage, Kasiri. We _will_ find her."

Kasiri nodded, her spirits lifting slightly at the encouragement. "Yes. We will."

Together, the two adult lionesses pushed on into the darkening rainstorm, shouting the names of the pride's two missing cubs into the wet afternoon.

"Zira! Sarabi!"

* * *

"Sarabi?" Mufasa asked, tilting his head to one side. "What do you mean, 'do I like Sarabi?'"

"I mean," fumbled Sarafina, trying to find the best way to word what she was trying to ask. This was a _lot_ more difficult than she had anticipated, she realized. "I mean, do you like her?"

Mufasa blinked in confusion.

"I guess so. We're friends, after all. Why?" he replied, Sarafina's true meaning escaping him for the moment. She giggled in spite of herself.

"Not like that, Mufasa. I mean... you know. Do you _like_ her?" she repeated again, emphasizing the word for appropriate effect. This time Mufasa seemed to grasp what she was getting after because he suddenly drew away from Sarafina and began stuttering.

"Well, she's – I mean, I think she's – why, does she like me?" he asked, sounding a little hopeful.

"_I_ like you," Sarafina confessed, ears drooping slightly in disappointment. Mufasa clearly liked Sarabi after all. It wasn't fair, she just wanted to be queen. Mufasa frowned, taken aback by what Sarafina had just told him.

"Well..." he began, but the golden prince didn't quite know where to go from there. They were all a little too young for the relationship game; _liking_ someone was the extent of their experience with romantic feelings.

"I was kind of hoping maybe we could... I don't know," Sarafina said in the interim, pawing at the ground in apprehension.

This boy thing was complicated and being caught between the one she had a crush on and her best friend, who also had a crush on him, was just plain awkward. Their parents would have no doubt laughed at the pride's little ones innocently forming their first love triangle, looking back on their own youths with a sentimental gleam in their eyes. For Sarafina it was not so distant and rather more serious: the boy she liked probably liked somebody else.

Mufasa coughed nervously, prompting Sarafina to lift her gaze from her feet. She fixed the golden prince with a morose look. Here was the part where he told her that he liked Sarabi instead. She knew it was coming, she just didn't want to hear it said aloud.

"Maybe we could hang out some more?" he offered with a sheepish grin, interrupting her disappointed thoughts. The light-colored cub blinked for a moment and then brightened immediately.

"You mean it?" she asked. Mufasa continued to smile awkwardly.

"Yeah," he said, nodding. Sarafina was practically beaming; she felt warm and fuzzy all over. Mufasa did not share her enthusiasm, however. Inwardly the golden prince wondered what he had just gotten himself into and whether he had made the right decision here. He would make a point of asking his dad about girls the next time the two of them had another lesson.

"Thanks, Mufasa," she grinned, fixing her with her pretty sea-green eyes. Mufasa shifted uncomfortably.

"What are you looking at?" he questioned.

"It's nothing, I just... I really think you're... cute," she said suddenly, clamping one of her paws over her muzzle as she admitted this aloud.

"Thanks?" Mufasa tried, unsure how to reply. Sarafina giggled again, lowering her paw. Today hadn't been a total disaster at least, the girl thought.

* * *

"_Zira?_" Sarabi repeated, louder this time. The striped cub looked up at last, her face flush with embarrassment. Sarabi was the absolute last person she wanted to find her like this, scared out of her wits and covered in mud as she was. Staggering slightly she pushed herself to her feet and glared at the other cub.

"What do you want, Sarabi?" she spat, voice rising in pitch as she struggled to contain her shame and fear. Sarabi looked at the way she was acting and immediately felt guilty. If Zira was out here alone it was because of the things Sarabi had said about Zira and her mother earlier that day.

"It's... it's raining, Zira. Come over here and get dry," the larger cub offered, moving over to make room. Zira laughed darkly.

"I'm not falling for that," Zira retorted, biting back a whimper as another round of thunder and lightning tore through the sky.

"Look," Sarabi said loudly, fighting to be heard over the rain and the wind. "This isn't going to stop any time soon, but we'll be fine inside here until we can go home."

"Home?" Zira repeated incredulously. "_Home?_ I have no home, according to _you._"

Sarabi chewed her lip for a minute.

"Zira, I didn't mean to –"

"– to what?" Zira interrupted. "To make me feel like I was some stranger? To drive everyone away from me? To make my life nothing but trouble? To _what,_ Sarabi?"

Sarabi watched Zira standing in the rain, her little chest heaving with the intensity of the pent-up emotions she was releasing on her tormentor. For the first time Sarabi considered what it would be like to be told you didn't belong and to have that tossed in your face at every opportunity, to have those around you either ignore you or exclude you from their lives because you were somehow different. Sarabi's guilt intensified. Zira wasn't really all that different, she realized, but she had treated her terribly anyway. Looking at Zira with mud in her fur and tears in her eyes it was hard for Sarabi to justify any of the things she'd put Zira through.

"I'm sorry," Sarabi said at last.

Zira stared at her long and hard.

"You're what?" Zira asked in a low voice, taking a step closer.

"I'm sorry, Zira," Sarabi confessed.

Zira took another step closer. Then another. And another. Sarabi nodded again at the spot beside her, squeezing aside as much as she could to make more room for the other cub. Shivering from the cold and the wet, Zira sat herself down to wait for the storm to clear.

"Thank you," she whispered, flinching as yet more thunder crackled overhead. This tentative truce was not what Zira wanted the most right now, but given the circumstances it would do.

* * *

"Sarabi! Zira!" the lionesses called into the rain, heads turning this way and that in search of the lost little ones. Kasiri's voice was growing more and more desperate, Uru noted, and she suspected that wherever she was Hari was going through the same feelings of rising fear. She prayed to the Great Kings of the Past that they would find Zira and Sarabi soon.

Kasiri was nearly falling apart over her daughter's disappearance. Her previous pride, upon discovering that she had not mated with one of the pride males, had insisted that she kill her cub after Zira was born but Kasiri had not been willing to part with her newborn daughter. Distraught and outnumbered, Kasiri had fled to preserve Zira's life for as long as she could; young cubs with only a single guardian were not known to survive for long in the wild. By chance she had stumbled across the Pridelands and been taken in by their king, Ahadi, on the condition that she join the hunts to help provide for their community. Kasiri had accepted at once, knowing full well that her presence would not be tolerated by many of the lionesses who had been born into the pride. The long months of endured derision were a sacrifice she had been willing to make for Zira's sake.

After everything she had done to keep her little girl safe and alive Zira was out here somewhere in this, lost and alone and frightened. Kasiri knew full well that Zira was afraid of thunder. She always had been. The thought of her daughter losing her way and being hurt – or possibly never returning to her – made panic rise within the sleekly-built female. This search was taking too long.

"Zira!" she cried, straining her vocal cords to their limits. The tears starting to form in her eyes were not obscured by the rain plastering her pelt to her frame. "Zira!"

Again and again she shouted the cub's name so that Uru had to softly take her by the shoulder and shake her to get her attention.

"Kasiri, stop," Uru commanded in her quiet, strong voice.

"Zira! Zira! No, Uru, I won't stop. My daughter's out there somewhere. Zira!" she continued.

"Kasiri," Uru urged again. "Shhh. Listen, I think I hear something."

Kasiri quieted and listened over her heavy breathing, her ears hopefully flicking in all directions in attempts to pick up any hint of a sound that seemed out of place. Sure enough –

"Mom?" came a familiar voice, muffled and somewhere to their left. The two adults charged in the direction of the youthful call immediately, exchanging more cries of _Zira!_ and _Sarabi!_ with their quarry.


	5. Dark Times

King Ahadi's green eyes pierced the cloud of gloom that raged around him, gleaming dangerously in the low light like emerald fire. Two rogue lions – both male – had been spotted here earlier today, reports said, and Ahadi was on the warpath. He had a territory to defend.

One great paw followed another as he stalked through the flat lands near the northern border, head held high and chest puffed out to display his power to any foolish enough to contest his claim to these lands. His predecessor, King Mohatu, had been a diplomat; not so the late king's son-in-law. Ahadi was a warrior, a fighter, proud and strong. His mane was slicked back from the rain and the wind but it was _the storm_ that broke around _him,_ diving this way and that to get out of his way. All was as it should be in his realm thus far, but he knew the threats were not far off. The great golden lion's eyes roved this way and that, searching for –

_Thunk._

Ahadi eyed the pebble that had just bounced off of the apex of his skull with mild surprise. Who? What? Then it happened again. _Thunk._ The King of Pride Rock quickly mastered his confusion and scanned the direction the second small stone had come hurtling at him from in time to spot, and dodge, a third projectile as it came his way. Ahadi growled threateningly.

"Ah, the king himself," a thickly-accented voice called from afar, its words accompanied by a fourth and fifth rock whirling through the rain. One of them caught Ahadi squarely on the bridge of his nose; his expression of alertness quickly transitioned to one of fury.

"Enough," the great lion snarled. "Show yourself. What business do you have in _my_ kingdom?"

Wild laughter was all the answer he received. He had come expecting to find lions, but hyenas fled – or died – just as easily. Ahadi advanced, but the laughter grew more distant and the source of the rocks being thrown at him began to move further away as well.

"Who are you?" Ahadi demanded. A sound like someone slapping their own forehead interrupted the laughing, which ceased immediately.

"Ahadi does not recognize Rafiki? And after all Rafiki did to drive them other lions away for him," the voice nearly pouted.

Rafiki. Ahadi closed his eyes and set his jaw, slowly counting to ten to get a hold on his temper. He would much rather have encountered the two rogues or even some stray hyenas than this mandrill, who was eccentric at the best of times and annoying at all other hours of the day. Rafiki was a wanderer, one known for his reputation as a shamanic authority. It was he who had presented Ahadi's sons to the gathered animals of the Pridelands and neighboring territories once they were old enough to open their eyes. Although Ahadi had come to share his queen's beliefs in the Great Kings of the Past he was not, strictly speaking, as believing as Uru was; Ahadi had consented to the presentation only because it was pride tradition. In fact, one of his earlier memories was watching his own mate be presented after her birth.

But his acceptance of her family's ways didn't mean that he tolerated Rafiki very well.

"Rafiki has taken his very breath away, eh?" Rafiki commented when Ahadi did not add anything to their conversation. "Must be Rafiki's good looks! Ahaha!"

The mandrill sauntered forward energetically on his spindly limbs, clutching the lengthy tree branch he used as a walking stick to his chest. His free hand was clenched around what Ahadi correctly assumed to be more rocks for throwing. Ahadi fixed the creepy little monkey with a serious glare.

"One more stone, Rafiki, one more, and I will eat you and be done with it," Ahadi threatened. Rafiki grinned innocently and dropped not one but five smooth pebbles to the rain-soaked ground, displaying his open palm to the king as a token of obedience and peace. Ahadi fought a sudden urge to rub his temple.

"Rafiki come to see the weather," he intoned while gesturing to the dark skies above with the stick. Rafiki returned to leaning heavily on his staff. "This storm does not belong. Rafiki thinks it is a sign, a warning. The winds, they speak to Rafiki sometimes but the voices here are silent. Not gone, no, only silent. It is very... peculiar."

Ahadi thought the only peculiarity in the situation was Rafiki himself, but he didn't say so. "A warning?" he queried.

Rafiki nodded. Ahadi waited for him to elaborate but the primate seemed to want the king to ask. Snorting, Ahadi acquiesced. He had no time for games; if the rogues were gone, he wanted to go home and get out of all of this water.

"A warning about what, Rafiki?" he relayed mechanically. Rafiki leaned in close.

"Rafiki thinks something is coming, Your Majesty," said the mandrill. "Dark times for the Pridelands. There will be struggles and much pain."

"Thank you for your warning, Rafiki," Ahadi answered coolly, abruptly turning his back on the mandrill. This discussion had lasted too long already.

"It is why Rafiki is coming with you, Your Majesty," Rafiki announced. Ahadi froze in his tracks, but only for a moment.

"You're certain it's necessary?" he asked, trying as delicately as possible to communicate that he did not want Rafiki to join him and the others at Pride Rock.

"Oh yes," Rafiki answered. "These events to come, they are of much importance to Rafiki. He will want to help in any way he can. And he may want to see the beautiful Uru again," Rafiki teased. Ahadi lashed his tail in irritation but said nothing as he left Rafiki behind for the moment, prompting more peals of laughter from the young shaman.

"Yes, dark times," Rafiki repeated under his breath. Casting his eyes skyward he made a slight addition to his foretelling. "But only after the drought."

Rafiki quickly caught up with King Ahadi and fell into stride beside him, walking in silence.

* * *

Taka liked storms.

There was something about them that held him enraptured. They were nature's power made manifest, the skies pouring out their wrath on the lands below in unjust excess. They were feared and respected; all the lions in the pride would be safely hidden inside the den unless they had a proper excuse to be out and about, like the prince's father or the lionesses searching for his missing friends alongside his mother. He wouldn't mind having that kind of respect, Taka thought, though he was not likely to get it at any point in his life. The cub – nearly an adolescent by now, if his budding mane was any sign to judge by – was scrawny. Try though he might to eat more and do more physical exercise, he had been unable to pack any additional bulk onto his frame. He simply wasn't built like his dad was – like his _brother _was.

He peeked back over the lip of the den in search of Mufasa in time to watch Sarafina clap a paw over her muzzle, possibly a gesture of shock or surprise. Taka narrowed his eyes. What were they talking about, he wondered? Was it really more interesting than what was going on all around them? And if they were really worried about Sarabi and Zira, shouldn't they have been willing to come stand watch with him at the very least?

Taka returned to watching lightning streak through the sky with a melancholy expression. Mufasa at least could have chosen to come and hang out with him up here. His older sibling was supposed to be his brother and his best friend like Sarafina was to Sarabi – well, without the being-related part. Until now the two girls had been inseparable, and Taka honestly missed sharing that sort of closeness with his brother. Lately though Mufasa had been looking at him strangely, tilting his head whenever Taka did or said something he didn't seem to understand. Taka hadn't commented on the behavior yet but whenever this happened he felt like he was being judged and he didn't like it.

Mufasa might have been _heir_ but what right did that give him to evaluate his younger brother?

It felt like a betrayal on some level. While considering what had taken place the morning Mufasa was taken on a circuit of the kingdom's borders Taka realized that Mufasa had not kept his promise to ask their father to take him along with them. He'd watched in anticipation as his brother had set out alongside the king, expecting at least a sorrowful expression of sympathy if their dad's answer had been no, but Mufasa never once looked back. He had been forgotten.

So Mufasa could _overlook_ him, but he couldn't keep from _judging_ him? What part of that, exactly, was fair? Sarafina's distant giggle cut off Taka's resentful reflection.

That was another thing, the russet prince thought. Everyone always wanted to hang out with Mufasa. Even Zira, who Sarabi often tried to exclude from their games, seemed to gravitate toward his big brother though she was more subtle about it than, say, Sarabi was. It was evident to anyone who paid attention that Sarabi thought Mufasa was _just her type._ It made Taka want to roll his eyes in annoyance. She didn't even try to hide it. The way she always targeted him first when the four friends played games or the way her choice of teams – when they weren't boys against girls – placed her and Mufasa together had been suspicious to Taka's fastidious young mind, but Mufasa of course hadn't noticed.

But then, Taka mused, this was the lion who had forgotten he was supposed to be hiding and answered _Me too_ when the girls had been talking about how bored they were. He permitted himself a moment of smug satisfaction. Mufasa was bigger and stronger, but Taka was much, much smarter than the royal heir. Enjoyable though it was to feel superior to his brother for a change, it did not last long. Taka instantly felt himself deflate. King Ahadi preferred his oldest son because he was more like himself. Their father valued strength over intelligence.

But didn't a king need to be wise before being strong? His late grandfather had been that way and he had ruled effectively. Why was their father so quick to decide who was fit to eventually take his place? Did he think Taka's talents and abilities were inadequate? Unimportant? His father had named Mufasa heir because he was the strongest, right? What if he could somehow prove that Mufasa wasn't all he was cracked up to be? Would their dad be willing to reconsider his choice if Mufasa's value as a son and a lion was called into question?

Sure, Taka acted like it didn't bother him that he was shunted off to one side while Mufasa received the majority of the time in the spotlight, but in truth it did hurt him that he wouldn't ever be as acknowledged as his sibling. They'd been born together: brothers, littermates, twins, _equals._ Taka deserved every chance Mufasa got to prove himself but nobody seemed to want to give it to him. Well, he supposed, if nobody would give him the chance he needed then maybe he'd have to take it. He just hoped Mufasa wouldn't come to resent him for trying.

Taka looked over his shoulder to watch his brother again. Mufasa looked very uncomfortable; clearly some topic he didn't want to talk about had been brought up. Choosing a queen, maybe? And yet, he would have to start thinking about that soon. Taka himself had been thinking about girls as he began to enter his teenage years, though his more introverted nature had kept him from following through on any of these thoughts. His green eyes slid to Sarafina, who was now talking animatedly about something-or-other while Mufasa awkwardly nodded. He sighed and returned to watching the rain, averting his gaze from the cream cub.

The storm outside really didn't appear to be letting up soon but no sooner had he thought this than below, in the semi-darkness, Taka saw the shapes of four adult lionesses approaching Pride Rock. And there, near their feet... Taka stood up and called over his shoulder without turning away from the scene.

"Hey! They're back! They found them!"

* * *

"What have I _told_ you, Sarabi?" Hari chastised, bathing her daughter in a far corner of the Pridelander dens. She was being none too gentle about it, either, as Sarabi winced with every tonguestroke.

"But mom," she protested.

"No buts, young lady! You are supposed to tell me when you leave Pride Rock. You had me worried sick, Sarabi. I don't care if you're growing up, I am still your mother and you are still mine to guard and protect. You are on suspension, not to leave Pride Rock for three days," the bulky female said, passing sentence with a finality that could not be resisted.

"Mother!" Sarabi gawked. Hari paused in her bath to give Sarabi a stern glare. At her request the betrothal announcement had been delayed that long by Queen Uru, as Hari did not want the good news to make her daughter's assigned punishment pointless.

"Shall I extend it to a week?" Hari threatened. "If any of us catch cold from running around in the rain trying to find you the entire pride may have to go with less food than normal. You and that outsider cub may have temporarily compromised our quality of life. The _least_ you deserve is a few days of silence to think about what you've done."

Sarabi drooped her ears and fell back in a slump, scowling as her mother continued to clean her fur. On the opposite end of the lion-filled cave, Zira was having a similar, but altogether not as unpleasant, experience.

"Zira," Kasiri was saying quietly, "why did you go out there all on your own?"

Zira tried not to look her mother in the eyes when she stopped licking mud out of her pelt to speak to her but it was too difficult. The cub's eyes met the lioness's and she caved almost instantly.

"Sarabi said some things at mealtime that upset me. I wandered off on my own and didn't pay attention to where I was until after the storm got worse," she admitted.

"And you know what you did was wrong?" Kasiri pressed.

"Yes, mom," Zira hung her head.

"I need you to understand that you can't go off alone like that. You're grounded, too," Kasiri said, but as her eyes darted toward Hari and Sarabi she lowered her head and clarified in a conspiratorial whisper, "for one day."

Zira's sad expression softened slightly as Kasiri returned to grooming her. The mother knew that her child was not entirely responsible for what had happened today and, in light of what she felt certain was a traumatic experience for her daughter, had been rather lenient. Zira was grateful. Today... actually hadn't turned out so badly. Sure, she hadn't eaten much and Sarabi had upset her, and being wet and muddy and frightened of the thunder was not at all fun, but Sarabi had apologized and would even be completely out of her life for two whole days. Their shared day of imprisonment would likely determine if the other cub's apology had been genuine or not.

"I'm glad they're back safely," Mufasa said, watching the two cubs being bathed from a comfortable distance.

"I agree," affirmed Taka.

"Sarabi doesn't look too happy, though," Sarafina observed with a concerned look. She had wanted to welcome her best friend home but had quickly been dismissed with a snappy _Thank you, Sarafina_ from Sarabi's mother. The girl was evidently in a lot of trouble, and to make matters worse, she would probably not be too happy to hear about what she and Mufasa had just been discussing.

Mufasa seemed to be thinking along the same lines because he hastily cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"I guess that just means dad's the only one still out there somewhere. I hope he comes home soon, I always get nervous when there are outsiders involved," the golden cub said. Kasiri, overhearing, looked around at him curiously; Mufasa instantly realized the terrible faux pas he had committed and ducked his head sheepishly. The lioness smiled in acceptance of his tacit apology and returned to cleaning Zira.

"Father will be fine," Taka said stiffly. Nobody seemed to pick up on his tone.

"Yeah, Mufasa. I'm sure your dad will be home before the storm blows over," Sarafina added.

As though in answer to Sarafina and Taka's assertions that King Ahadi would indeed return unharmed the lion's large frame filled the den entryway. With a wordless cry of relief Uru was at his side in a moment to welcome him home, nuzzling her recently cleaned and dried muzzle against Ahadi's rain-slicked face and mane. The trio of cubs watched the reunion with mixed emotions – Mufasa with another awkward smile, Taka with neutral disinterest, and Sarafina with a wistful sigh – and then their eyes were drawn to the left to a figure none of them had seen before (or at least, not one any of them remembered seeing as they were all far too young to remember at the time).

"Ah, Uru, you are as beautiful as you were when your sons were born," Rafiki complimented, stepping in out of the rain. Ahadi continued to stare ahead grimly, ignoring the monkey's presence for now, but Uru looked delighted to see the hermit again. The queen made to thank him and to her alarm found herself interrupted by a sneeze. Rafiki waved away her embarrassment and wiped his shoulder off.

"It is nothing compared to what Rafiki has just been through, Your Majesty. But we should speak in the morning. Rafiki will retire early tonight, give the king a chance to rest from his travels," the mandrill teased, patting Ahadi's flank with one of his dextrous hands. Uru took a look at her king's expression when he heard this dig at his physical prowess and laughed, slowly but surely prompting him to shrug off his annoyance and smile in spite of himself.

"Until tomorrow, Your Majesties," Rafiki nodded. Bidding the entire pride a warm, dry, and restful night, he took his leave back out into the storm, presumably to camp beneath one of the nearby trees until the morning.

"Does he know that behind those dark clouds the sun hasn't even set yet?" Ahadi mused aloud. Uru licked his cheek as they strode to the far side of the den and the raised platform where the royal family usually slept, her precious mirror gleaming as more forked lightning lit up the sky outside.

"Let's get you cleaned up, Ahadi. You're a frightful mess and we have a lot to talk about. I was just thinking about Rafiki this morning, honestly, and..."

It really was nighttime by the time Uru and Ahadi had finished telling one another about their days.


	6. Revelations

"Good morning, Taka," Mufasa yawned as he sauntered out into the open. Taka looked up and affected a look of utter shock at his brother's appearance.

"The golden prince wakes at last," he teased. Mufasa rolled his eyes.

"So I like sleeping in, I get it. You don't have to say it every morning, you know," Mufasa snorted. "What have I missed?"

Taka gave Mufasa a sly look.

"I could probably tell you anything and you'd believe me," he chuckled. Mufasa pulled a face.

"Taka," the older brother protested.

"All right, all right," Taka relented. "Father is down by the watering hole with some of the lionesses and mother is speaking to that monkey from yesterday. Sarafina, I think, went with her since Sarabi and Zira are still in trouble."

"Busted," grinned Mufasa. Taka couldn't suppress a smile, either. Mufasa had been told not to go near the two girls until their punishments had ended so he had skipped wishing them a good morning and come straight outside. He felt certain, however, that the pair of them wished they hadn't ventured off with a storm brewing overhead now that they were stuck at Pride Rock for awhile.

Taka stretched, fixing his brother with a single green eye. When it was just the two of them together like this they got along fine – no problems, no feelings of exclusion, no nothing. It was when everyone else got involved with the brothers that Taka started feeling like he didn't matter as much. He hoped it wouldn't always be the case, though he was beginning to understand that he would either have to get used to standing just outside the metaphorical spotlight or make a bid for some time center stage at his brother's expense.

Today was not one of those days, however. Today he wanted to have fun, possibly by exploring somewhere he hadn't yet been. There were many such places scattered throughout the Pridelands, and as they grew older and older and their parents allowed them to venture further and further from Pride Rock, more and more new locations opened up to them. Taka couldn't yet say for sure what they'd find, as they hadn't found it yet, but whatever it was it might be interesting.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up all morning, Mufasa. You want to find Sarafina and play tag, maybe?" Taka offered. They both had today free, he thought, since their dad wasn't doing anything of great importance at the moment.

"Sounds good to me," Mufasa answered cheerily. "Race you to the bottom?"

"Challenge accepted," Taka replied coolly. The two brothers bounded down the rocky slope to the base of Pride Rock, occasionally leaping downward where the slanted rise was broken by stone surfaces of varying heights. As usual they completed their contest at more or less the same moment, exchanging grins as they fell into stride beside one another.

"So where's mom at?" asked the golden prince.

"There's a pretty big Baobab tree east of here. That's where she said she was going to meet Rafiki," the russet cub explained.

"And Sarafina's with her?" came the casual reply.

"I said so before, didn't I? Why do you ask?" Taka watched Mufasa's expression carefully.

"No reason," lied Mufasa. He was not very good at concealing the truth, thought Taka with a smile.

"What were you two talking about yesterday?" he asked his older brother innocently. The answer came almost immediately, a sure sign that Mufasa was trying to hide something.

"Nothing. Why?" Mufasa was deliberately avoiding his brother's gaze. Taka increased his pace and moved into Mufasa's path, looking him directly in the eye.

"You like her, don't you?" Taka accused. Mufasa took half a step backwards, leaving one paw held in the air.

"What? But – no, that's not –" he spluttered. Taka's grin widened.

"It's okay, you don't have to hide it. It's nothing to be embarrassed about, brother of mine," Taka continued to tease. Mufasa cleared his throat.

"Can we just... you know, meet up with mom? I want to see who that monkey was," he insisted. Taka shrugged, then fell back into step beside his brother.

After walking a short ways in awkward silence Taka spoke up again.

"I don't mean to embarrass you, Mufasa, you know that, right?" he said. Mufasa looked over at him, then rolled his own bulkier shoulders in a shrug.

"It's nothing, Taka, you don't have to apologize," he intoned.

"Who's apologizing?" Taka blinked. "What I wanted to say was, I understand how you could find Sarafina... attractive."

Mufasa quirked an eyebrow at his younger sibling. _Attractive_ was putting it on a bit thickly, wasn't it? Sarafina was pretty, he supposed, but attractive seemed like rather an adult notion. He felt his cheeks heating beneath his fur at the thought.

"Yeah, I guess," he said at last. Where was Taka going with this?

"I was actually hoping," Taka said, choosing to confide one of his more personal thoughts in his brother, "that I could get to know her a little bit better myself."

He peered up at his older brother.

"I like her too, you know," he admitted. The duo slowly brought themselves to a stop. Mufasa was inwardly panicking a little, as Sarafina had informed him just yesterday that it was he who she liked. How was he going to break that news to his little brother?

"So..." Taka began, unsure how to continue this conversation on his own. "Are you going to say something, Mufasa?"

"I don't know," Mufasa answered honestly. "What do you want me to say? This is weird, Taka."

Taka shrugged. It was weird, kind of, but he thought he had a solution to their dilemma.

"Well, if we both like her... maybe we can see who she likes more?" he suggested, unintentionally mirroring words Sarabi had spoken to Sarafina a little over a week ago. Mufasa already knew who she liked more, but rather than be straightforward with his sibling he nodded in agreement. Sarafina herself could tell Taka which of the two brothers she preferred; it was too much for Mufasa to handle at the moment.

"And Mufasa?" Taka added, relieved that his brother had agreed to let Sarafina choose between them.

"What, Taka?" asked the golden prince as they continued on their way.

"No hard feelings, no matter who she decides she likes?"

Mufasa hesitated.

"No hard feelings, Taka," he answered.

Mufasa really hoped this wouldn't backfire somehow.

* * *

"It's so good to see you again, Rafiki," Queen Uru greeted. Sarafina peeked around the lioness's legs at the mandrill curiously.

"The pleasure is all Rafiki's," he assured her with a respectful bow. Uru laughed.

"What brings you back to the Pridelands?" she asked the wandering hermit.

"The winds are changing," he answered cryptically. Uru furrowed her brow in concern.

"The storm?" she asked.

"More than that," Rafiki replied, but he didn't want to go into specifics with one so young so near at hand. "Ah, but we have a guest. Where did Rafiki leave his manners?"

The monkey smiled down at Sarafina politely and Uru stepped aside to nose her forward.

"Uh," said Sarafina. "Hi?"

Rafiki laughed.

"Children are the world's blessing," he said. "Rafiki is pleased to make your acquaintance, …?"

"Sarafina," the cub supplied.

"Sarafina," repeated Rafiki. "It is a beautiful name. Will you do Rafiki a favor and watch after this while he and the queen speak about old times?"

The cream-colored cub looked at Rafiki's proffered staff with wide eyes.

"Cool," she said in awe-hushed tones, tilting her head to take hold of it with her mouth. Rafiki patted her head gently and then wrapped one of his arms around Uru's shoulders, directing her a short ways away.

"Rafiki thinks that troubled times are coming to the Pridelands," the mandrill began. Uru nodded.

"Ahadi said as much, but I don't think he believes as strongly as I do."

Rafiki chuckled.

"No. But Rafiki will change his mind," he promised, eyes twinkling with mirth. Uru grinned, too.

"I'd like to see somebody other than myself try to persuade Ahadi for a change. He is not easily moved," she said. She loved him for it, though. Ahadi was, as the meaning of his name suggested, as certain as the promise of sunrise every morning. She depended on him for more than just protection from outsiders during the day and comforting warmth at night. He was the father of her children and the love of her life.

"Upendi," Rafiki said with a soft smile that Uru returned. It was like he could read her mind.

"Always," she confirmed. Uru paused briefly to enjoy the feelings of warmth thinking of her loved ones brought to her before continuing. "But enough about Ahadi and I. Tell me more about these 'troubled times.' What may we expect of the future? Is our pride in danger?"

Rafiki craned his head to peer behind him to make sure that Sarafina was still watching after his staff. She had taken to leaning it against the tree as opposed to holding it herself but she was still sitting beside it, looking up curiously at the round gourds tied near the top as they swayed in the light breeze. Satisfied that she was not about to eavesdrop the monkey turned back to Uru and started to elaborate.

"There will be a terrible time of no water," Rafiki prophesied. "It will come soon. The Pridelands will wither and food will become scarce. But do not fear. Remain true to yourself, Your Majesty, and all will unfold as it should."

Uru looked troubled at this news.

"What are we to do?" she asked, concern etched onto her features. Rafiki shook his head.

"There are some things in life you cannot prepare for," he told the disturbed queen, without warning flicking the tip of her nose lightly as an object lesson of this simple truth. "For now you must journey onward without knowing the destination. You will know the path to take only when you have gone far enough in uncertainty."

Uru sighed as she lifted a paw to rub at her nose. Why couldn't wisdom ever be straightforward?

"I suppose you're right, Rafiki," she said, returning her free paw to the ground, "but still I worry. If what you say comes to pass..."

Rafiki raised an eyebrow. Uru laughed softly at his expression.

"_When_ what you say comes to pass, then. I fear for the Pridelands. We lions will not be the only animals touched by this disaster. There will be others we must see to if we are to survive together."

"Your father taught you well," Rafiki praised. Uru smiled, but this time it was tinged with slight pain.

She had dearly loved her late father Mohatu – though he and Ahadi had never truly gotten along – and his absence in her life was keenly felt. She often bid a silent goodnight to the star in the sky she associated with him before retiring to the comfort of the den and her own family. Uru believed that one day they would be together again and she would be able to meet the mother she never knew, but it was bittersweet to think that they would be parted until the day when the sun set on her reign and rose with Mufasa as the new king.

"Rafiki understands," the mandrill said softly, patting her on the shoulder in a gesture of comfort. For her sake he moved quickly past the sensitive subject. "The Circle of Life is a delicate balance. Remain mindful of the connections between all living things, and your kingdom and pride will prosper."

"I wish I was as certain as you seem to be," Uru admitted.

"Rafiki has no doubts," he assured her kindly.

A light clatter from behind them made the pair peek over their shoulders in unison and the sight they saw made them both laugh. Taka and Mufasa had arrived on the scene and had evidently been playing with Rafiki's stick, as it was no longer leaning quietly against the Baobab tree. Sarafina, standing off to one side, was pointing at the two princes.

"How old are they now?" Rafiki prompted.

"Mufasa and Taka will be two years old soon," the russet female declared proudly.

Lions typically begin growing their manes at 18 months and are considered adults at three years of age, though their manes continue to grow until they are about five years old. Mufasa already possessed a respectable amount of auburn fluff around his neck and shoulders with some already appearing on his chest. Even at his current age it was apparent that his mane would be large and thick.

"Ah, the age when young lions begin to become grown-up lions," Rafiki said knowingly.

"Even if we arrive on the other end of this drought unscathed I don't know that the Pridelands will survive that affair," Queen Uru quipped about her sons both coming of age.

"Oh no, Your Majesty. They are both handsome and will cause quite a stir. Have you, ah..." Rafiki hesitated, then gestured wordlessly at Mufasa. Uru knew what he was getting at.

"We have," she nodded. "Very late, as you know, but we plan on announcing it two days from now."

Rafiki pointed toward the cream-colored cub he had been introduced to a short while ago with a curious smile.

"No, not her," Uru chuckled. "Sarafina is sweet, but Ahadi and I have decided on another: Sarabi, Hari's little girl. She's not so little anymore, though. None of them are, really. The girls are set to begin their training as hunters soon; Zira's already started. Ahadi has taken Mufasa around the pride's borders, too. Our pride's youth are all growing up, Rafiki. It feels like just yesterday when I was one of them."

"Time has a way of passing faster than we would like it to," Rafiki commented.

"Truer words were never spoken," Uru dipped her head in agreement. Time's passage wasn't all bad, though. She was no longer a snooty cub or a superficial adolescent, primping herself in front of her mirror to impress a teenaged Ahadi while her father laughed, tousled the fur on her head, and made her start all over again.

"Well. Rafiki wants to introduce himself to the twins, but then he must be off," the monkey said.

"You're not staying?" Uru asked, looking slightly disappointed.

"Rafiki does not want to wear out his welcome," he laughed, referring of course to King Ahadi. "A little bit of Rafiki goes a long way, some say! But do not worry, Your Majesty. Rafiki, he will be back!"

* * *

"Hi Sarafina," greeted the brothers together as they drew near the wide base of the tree beside their friend.

"Hey Mufasa! Taka!" she returned eagerly, stepping forward to welcome them. "Did you guys come to meet Rafiki?"

"And to see what you were up to," Taka confirmed.

"What's that?" Mufasa asked, nodding his head at the stick.

"Oh, that? That's Rafiki's walking staff," Sarafina answered smugly. "I'm watching it for him while he talks with your mom."

"Not that," Mufasa shook his head. "_That._"

The golden prince was pointing to the orange-brown gourds hanging from one end.

"Oh," said Sarafina. "I don't know."

"Some kind of melon or squash, maybe," Taka suggested, peering up at them interestedly.

"I want a closer look," Mufasa stated. The young adolescent rose up on his hind legs to more closely examine them but his forepaw slipped against the smooth bark of the tree and he found himself on the floor beside Rafiki's stick a moment later. As the appointed guardian of the shaman's personal property Sarafina, who had just noticed the trio being watched, quickly pointed a paw toward Taka and Mufasa to absolve her of all guilt. The adults simply laughed and returned to their conversation.

"Such elegance," Taka teased Mufasa. The golden lion grinned.

"Says you," he retorted as he stood back up.

"What do you mean by that –?" Taka made to ask before being answered immediately. The two males rolled over and over in the nearby grass, cheerfully play fighting while Sarafina egged them on.

"That the best you got?" Mufasa demanded at one point, lightly driving the knuckles on one of his paws into the top of Taka's head.

"Let me up," Taka protested, squirming in his brother's grasp.

"Sarafina to the rescue!" the she-cub announced as she took a great flying leap at the two brothers, both of whom wore startled expressions at her sudden entry into the fray. Slipping Mufasa's foreleg, Taka ducked out of the way just as the cream-colored adolescent barreled into his older brother. The two rolled briefly as each tried to pin the other but it was Sarafina who landed atop Mufasa, her muzzle so close to his that he could feel her breath against his whiskers.

Sarafina blinked, her sea-green eyes peering closely into Mufasa's pair of red irises. She felt herself color under her fur. If she leaned in now, she could...

"Having fun, you three?" the queen's stately voice interrupted. Sarafina immediately stepped off of Mufasa, grinning sheepishly up at his mother. Taka wandered over as Mufasa righted himself, all of them wearing smiles.

"If it isn't the young princes," said Rafiki warmly. He held up his hands to indicate the size of a young cub. "When Rafiki saw you last, you were this small!"

The mandrill bowed deeply to each of the brothers in turn. His eyes lingered on Taka slightly longer than they did on his older sibling, but it quickly passed.

"Are you the one who held us up over that promontory at Pride Rock for our presentation ceremony?" Taka asked.

"The very same, Prince Taka," he grinned.

Taka looked over at Mufasa and mouthed a single word: _thumbs._ Mufasa had to stifle a laugh.

"It was nice meeting you all, but now Rafiki must go," the shaman said. He reached between the gaggle of youngsters and retrieved his walking staff.

"We hope that you will return soon," Queen Uru said.

"Of course, Your Majesty," Rafiki promised.

The four lions said their goodbyes and then they headed back to the watering hole. Taka and Mufasa slowly drifted behind to discuss Rafiki and his general weirdness, leaving the females in their little traveling band to talk among themselves.

"So Sarafina," the queen started, maintaining a nonchalant air. "What were you all playing earlier? It didn't look like tag."

"Oh, that. It was just... nothing," she shrugged. Uru gave the adolescent a knowing smile. Sarafina would not likely take the news well, she thought.


	7. The Path Unwinding

"Why are you telling me any of this?" Zira asked.

"Sarabi's still grounded and I can't talk to my mom about it," Sarafina said. Zira eyed her warily.

The two girls were lounging around the usual gathering place beside the watering hole, watched from a distance by some of the attentive adults in the pride. It had been two days since the storm and Zira's punishment, a single 24-hour period of confinement to Pride Rock, had expired that morning. Zira had been mildly surprised when the other cub approached her and struck up an easy conversation as though they had known one another well for years, but she got the impression that she wasn't the person Sarafina most wanted to discuss these matters with.

"So you're only hanging out with me because your friend's occupied?" the striped adolescent returned. Sarafina's ears slid back in embarrassment.

"No, no, nothing like that," said Sarafina. "And Sarabi _is_ my best friend but come on, Zira, I never treated you badly. Don't you want to be friends with me, too?"

Zira shifted the position of her tail. "I guess so," she replied. Making friends here was actually really easy now that Sarabi had given up on pressuring Zira because she hadn't been born here, but it was still something Zira wasn't totally used to. She had missed out on many opportunities to socialize and was simply out of practice.

"Wow, totally enthusiastic, Zira," Sarafina laughed. "Come on, brighten up. It's a beautiful day and we're free to enjoy it however we like. And I want to enjoy it talking about boys."

Zira snorted. For the past half hour Sarafina had regaled her with tales of how cute Mufasa was, how handsome or kind or strong he appeared, and how she had _almost_ kissed him once. She would probably have done it, she had bragged, if Mufasa's brother and mother hadn't been around to interrupt. The young lioness was completely taken with the golden prince and Zira was already sick of hearing about it.

"Can't we talk about something else?" Zira said grumpily. She happened to think Mufasa wasn't half-bad looking, either, and was starting to get a bit jealous that he and Sarafina were evidently an item.

"But _Ziiiraaa,_" Sarafina protested cheerily. The girl was on cloud nine over her crush.

"Yeah, he's cute," she agreed begrudgingly. "_Now_ can we talk about something else?"

"Fine," pouted the cream-colored adolescent. No worries, thought Sarafina. She'd tell Sarabi all about it after she was allowed to leave Pride Rock again.

"When do you two start learning how to hunt?" Zira asked, changing the subject.

"Mom's supposed to teach all of us as soon as Sarabi's prison sentence ends," Sarafina shrugged.

"All of us?" Zira looked up in surprise. Her companion for the day nodded.

"Yeah. You, too. She's the most senior hunter so she's had the most experience," the lighter adolescent replied. She wasn't bragging; Safi really was the de facto leader of the hunting party, having gone on more hunts than any of the other lionesses in the pride.

"So my mother won't be teaching me any more," the striped young adult murmured.

"Not necessarily," Sarafina said. "You'll just be taking lessons with us, too. If your mom wants to keep teaching you outside of that I'm sure it'll be fine."

She strolled over and took a spot directly across from Zira, laying herself down on her paws so they were face to face.

"So what's it like? Learning to hunt?" Sarafina asked. Zira thought for a moment.

"My mother played games with me at first," Zira said. "But they weren't exactly games. I think she just presented them that way to keep me interested, and it worked because it was fun."

"I like games," said Sarafina, pleased to hear that lessons wouldn't be all work. Zira chuckled.

"It got a bit more advanced than play pretty quickly, Sarafina. Before long she was teaching me posture and stalking and other things," the darker cub elaborated. Sarafina looked a little apprehensive.

"You're probably better at it than all of us, then," she said. "We'll have to work hard to keep up with you."

Zira shook her head in disagreement.

"I think the reason my mother played with me and gave me early lessons is because I wasn't socializing like the rest of the cubs. I've seen you four playing before and it looks pretty similar to what she did with me. I think we're all on about the same level, honestly," Zira admitted. Sarafina felt a pang of guilt.

"About that, Zira. I'm sorry, we never –"

"It's fine," Zira cut her off.

"But Zira, we never really tried to include you," Sarafina pressed. Sure, she tried to play with Zira a few times, but more often than not she was swayed by Sarabi to leave her out of their games.

"It's _fine,_" Zira reiterated. "We're friends now, right?"

Sarafina smiled softly. "Right."

"Then the past doesn't matter all that much," the wiry young female shrugged. Sarafina thought that it was very big of Zira to have forgiven them all like this, but for now she kept it to herself.

"Thanks," she murmured instead. Zira waved her tail dismissively.

"Just bring me along the next time all of you feel like doing something fun and we'll call it even," the girl said as she stood, flexing her lithe body in a long stretch. "I'd like to know the others more."

"The others?" Sarafina wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Oooh, you mean Taka and Mufasa!"

Zira shook her head, trying and failing to suppress a bashful smile. "Shut up, Sarafina."

Sarafina dissolved into a fit of giggles as the pair trotted off together, Sarafina continuing to tease her new friend about her growing interest in young males.

* * *

"Father?" the prince repeated.

Ahadi blinked and then slowly looked down at the source of the interruption. The King of Pride Rock had a lot on his mind lately with the appearance of two hostile rogues and a certain mandrill hermit on the northern border, two cubs getting lost in a severe rainstorm just recently, Mufasa's betrothal announcement, and the prospect of a drought to face atop all of his usual concerns. Ahadi had been staring out into the savannah, deep in thought, and hadn't heard his son approaching him at first.

"Yes, Taka?" the king asked, drawing himself out of his reverie and into the present.

The russet-colored cub – adolescent, Ahadi corrected himself – looked up at him with an expression he couldn't remember ever seeing on his son's face. The great lion couldn't place it, but it felt like distrust or suspicion. Taka shifted his weight, then answered with another question.

"What are you doing today?" he asked.

"For the moment?" Ahadi responded. "Thinking. Later on, I cannot say."

The king grinned.

"I would love to have a fixed schedule, but in my line of work there are very few certainties. Why do you ask, Taka?" he queried, eying his youngest boy curiously.

"I was hoping I could spend the day with you, father," Taka said.

Recently Taka had felt as though he'd had only one parent, his mother Queen Uru, as Ahadi was either busy guarding the Pridelands or spending time alone with Mufasa. He and his father very rarely talked with one another any more and now that his older brother was napping, his friends gossiping down by the watering hole, and most of the lionesses were out hunting he had a perfect opportunity to catch Ahadi alone.

"There's an idea," Ahadi pondered aloud. He smiled down at the young lion beside him who smiled back, pleased that the older lion was considering spending time with him. "Did you have anything in particular in mind?"

"Could you show me the pride's borders?" Taka asked at once, hope evident on his face and in his voice. Ahadi froze, an uncomfortable expression appearing on his muzzle.

"I've already completed my patrol for today," he answered after a lengthy, pregnant pause. Taka looked downcast.

"Why didn't you take me with you and Mufasa?" he pouted.

"Because –"

"Aren't I your son, too?" Taka demanded.

"It isn't polite to interrupt, Taka," Ahadi chastised. Taka did not apologize; he was too busy scowling up at him in silent rebellion. Ahadi sighed. What had come over his child so suddenly?

"Your brother is to be king one day, Taka. It is his responsibility to see to the pride's borders. It's not a thing you need to trouble yourself with," Ahadi explained. But Taka already knew this.

"What makes him so special?" the younger lion asked resentfully.

"Taka," said Ahadi in a low warning voice.

"No, father," Taka continued, disrespectful or not. "I want to know why I cannot go where he goes and do as he does. You and mother taught us both about the Circle of Life and the importance of one's role in the world. Why was I not given a place like he was?"

"Has it occurred to you that your older brother might not want to _be_ king?" Ahadi asked. "Mufasa was born first. The Circle of Life chose him to succeed your mother as the rightful ruler of the kingdom. It is not a privilege, Taka, but a responsibility. Mufasa has as little choice in the matter as you."

"But you chose him, too," said Taka, fixing his father with an intense green stare. "Why?"

Ahadi pressed one of his large paws to the side of his head and massaged gently.

"Once upon a time, there was a lion cub," he began, fighting to keep the exasperation out of his voice. Taka looked like he had every intention of interrupting but Ahadi brought his paw down over his son's muzzle and shook his head, cutting him off preemptively. This was a story that Taka needed to hear.

"This cub was betrothed to the brattiest, pettiest, and most annoying princess the Pridelands have ever known," the king continued, "and he hated his mother for agreeing to marry him off to her when they were old enough but it had to be done to uphold pride tradition. The teasing from the other cubs in the pride got so bad that he once thought about running away and foolishly trying to start a pride of his own. He knew, however, that he would break his mother's heart if he left her, so he stayed and did his best to cope with the role the Circle of Life had given him even though he did not want it."

"He eventually came to know the princess well. Behind her veil of superficiality she was not terribly unkind, nor was she demanding or stubborn or cruel. She was quiet, an introvert by nature, and she struggled to form and maintain friendships. He began to understand that the reason she placed such a high value on beauty was because she never felt beautiful, herself. The two grew closer, and over time, the cub – a lion by now – fell in love with the princess. When he first told her so, she cried. She thought he liked someone else more than her because she wasn't pretty enough. She was so happy. She told him that she loved him, too. He told her that she was the most beautiful lioness he'd ever met. She cried some more."

"And when the old king died and they took his place, they had two sons," Ahadi said, bringing the story full circle. "One of them was born to be a king and the other felt left out, ignored or overlooked, and was not content with what he perceived to be his place in the Circle of Life. One day the younger son came to his father to complain, and his father told him to be patient and see what life has in store for him. You may yet be proven wrong about a great many things, Taka. I was certainly wrong about Uru."

Ahadi's eyes glazed over as he looked out across the savannah in the direction the day's hunting party had gone. Uru was with them. Yes, he had been very, very wrong.

The father and son pair stood beside one another for a very long time in silence, each lost in their own thoughts – Ahadi in memories of his past, Taka in speculation about his future. It was some time before either of them acknowledged the other.

"But what is my place in the Circle of Life?" the young prince asked at last. "I feel lost."

Ahadi reached out his great foreleg and drew his son into a tight embrace. He could remember what it was like to feel young and confused, unsure of what to do as he grew from cub to lion.

"Perhaps you are special, Taka: you can choose your own place in the Circle of Life."

Taka returned his father's hug more fiercely.

* * *

Uru snarled at the zebra stallion, leaping this way and that to avoid his wildly flailing forelegs. He had not been their target but he had fallen into their ambush and he was resisting fiercely. Safi clung to his back, her jaw sunk deep into the base of his neck, but it was too low a grip to prove effective and her weight was not enough to bring him down. He bucked powerfully and dislodged the sun-kissed cream lioness; she went down in a heap and rolled twice before heaving herself to her feet and rejoining the circle of females all trying to get in close and finish him.

To the queen's left Hari, bulky and strong, made to pounce onto the zebra in Safi's place but had to retreat in the wake of his desperate strikes, staying clear of the danger. Kasiri approached from one side instead, leaping at the great animal as it snorted and brayed its challenges to the hunters.

Uru witnessed the scene unfold in slow motion, helpless to call out a warning in time to prevent it.

The zebra reared back and his forelegs cocked, ready to spring downward, but as it caught sight of the lioness drawing near its flank it whirled in mid-strike to face her. Down came the left hoof, down, down, crashing a solid blow onto Kasiri's head that reverberated through the clouds of dust churned up by the lionesses and their prey. The lithe female was dropped in an instant, trampled briefly by the flashing hooves of the zebra as it drew away, tossing its head in a warning. The lionesses grouped around Kasiri, snarling to drive the powerful stallion back. Triumphant, the zebra withdrew, fleeing in the direction the rest of its herd had chosen to retreat to.

Uru was by Kasiri's side in an instant, surveying the damage through the still-obscuring dust filtering through the air. There was a nasty cut on the top of her head and a trail of dark crimson had wound its way down her right temple, pooling a little beneath her chin. She had landed on her leg wrong for it was splayed out at an unnatural angle, clearly broken or dislocated by the weight of her body as it fell. The core of her body, too, had already bruised where the wild horse-cousin had stamped her with his mighty forelegs, coming down atop her with all the force he could muster. The internal injuries were likely extensive.

Kasiri was convulsing lightly, her toes contracting spasmodically as Uru brushed the grit and blood from her muzzle. She was having a difficult time breathing and was sucking in desperate gulps of air in tiny bursts, and though she was still conscious she seemed disoriented, incapable of maintaining visual focus on anything. Uru was already crying for her pridesister as she bent and cradled Kasiri's head so she was not lying in the dirt.

"Promise... Uru..." Kasiri choked her final words, full of as much fear of death as they were desperation for her daughter's sake. "Zira... promise..."

"I promise, Kasiri," Uru made her tongue speak the words she did not want to say. "I promise. I will be a mother to Zira in your place. It is all right. You can go now."

"Thank..." Kasiri was twitching violently. Uru pressed her muzzle against the dying lioness's own, heedless of the blood leaking down her face. Still crying, the queen softly began to hum the lullaby she had been sung as a cub by her father. It was the very same tune she had used to put Mufasa and Taka to sleep when they had been much younger. She rocked Kasiri back and forth gently, shushing her and stroking the back of her head with her free paw.

"... you."

Kasiri stopped moving.

"You can go now," Uru repeated softly, finishing her song. Her red-orange gaze left the fallen lioness and searched the sky overhead, knowing now that that was where she would find Kasiri from now on. "I promise."

Soon Safi laid a paw on the queen's shoulder and ushered her away from Kasiri's lifeless form, her cheeks also flecked with tears for their lost one. Uru was grateful for the soft touch and she allowed herself to be pulled away, eyes still trained on the lioness she had known for nearly two years. The hunting party had failed today. They would go back out tomorrow and try again.

But Kasiri would not be with them.

The russet-coated female assumed command of the situation, turning the retreating band of lionesses around so that they faced the place where their comrade had died. She did not ever want to have to guide her pride through this kind of ordeal, but as queen she knew her responsibilities. She looked toward her friend's unmoving body. For Kasiri, she would do this thing.

Uru tilted back her head and led the females in a mournful cry that was taken up by Safi and the others and, finally, by Hari herself. It was a song without words, an expression of gratitude for coming into their lives, acknowledgment of her place among them as an equal, affirmation that her presence would be dearly missed. And Uru sang it until she thought her throat would tear open.


	8. Mourning

"How is she coping?" Sarafina asked.

"She's been like that all day," replied Taka.

The three cubs – Sarafina, Taka, and Mufasa – were gathered together in the dens at Pride Rock, heads held low to keep their conversation private. The trio's gazes turned to look up at a fourth young lioness. Zira was sitting not far away in the large entrance to the outside world, staring blankly out at the horizon. Her eyes were red and puffy but she was not crying any more now.

Her mother had died yesterday.

Zira hadn't wanted to believe it, not even when her mother was nowhere to be seen and the queen herself had taken Zira aside to break the news to her. It was too horrible and too sudden a prospect to accept. Instead of sleeping with Queen Uru's family Zira had sat up for all of last night waiting for her mother to come home... but she never came. The tears started some time in the early morning and now that she couldn't cry any more she remained in the same spot, listlessly watching the distant plains.

That's where her mother was from, right? Somewhere out there? Zira didn't really know; her mother had hardly ever talked about her past. Kasiri had only ever focused on Zira. Zira's wants, Zira's needs, Zira, Zira, Zira. Now that Kasiri was gone it felt like such a waste not to have truly known the lioness. Zira didn't know who her father was, or if her mother had any siblings, or if she had grandparents. She had simply been _there,_ a constant fixture in her life but not one she had any particular interest in. Zira hated herself for that, for not taking the opportunity to know her mother while she was still alive.

The striped adolescent looked down at her paws and cringed.

She had been discussing her mother with Sarafina _while she had __been out there__ dying._

Zira slowly lowered her head into her paws and shook with silent sobs.

"Somebody should do something," Sarafina said firmly, watching her fellow adolescent with a concerned expression. "Somebody should... Mufasa? Where are you going?"

Mufasa stood and padded up beside Zira, leaving his brother and his friend behind. Sarafina and Taka shared a curious look, then watched from a distance as the golden prince sprung into action.

"Hey," he greeted softly, taking a seat next to Zira. The young lioness lifted her head and slowly turned to look at him.

"Hey," she replied after a lengthy wait. Her voice cracked; it was hoarse, too, from crying for the better part of the morning.

"I'm really sorry about your mom," Mufasa said. Zira looked away quickly.

"Me, too," she admitted, hunching her shoulders and drawing her paws inward.

"You know what I liked about her the most?" the red-tufted adolescent asked. Zira shrunk a little more. She didn't want to be having this conversation.

"No."

"She always smiled," Mufasa said, inching a little closer to her. "Whenever I saw her she'd smile at me, and I'd smile back. She even smiled at me once when I was talking about outsiders and she overheard. I didn't mean either of you, honestly, but she understood that."

"What do you want?" Zira snapped suddenly, still avoiding looking at Mufasa.

"I just wanted you to know that you're not the only one who misses your mom," said Mufasa. He frowned a little. "I can't imagine what it must be like to lose someone so special."

The striped adolescent finally turned to glare at Mufasa.

"It hurts," she hissed. She lifted a paw and jabbed at her own chest right where her little heart was. "It hurts so bad, right there. It hurts so bad I can't feel anything else. And it hasn't stopped since your mom took me aside and told me my mother wasn't ever coming home."

Mufasa gave her a very sympathetic look.

"My mom promised she'd take care of you," he began, but Zira was quick to interrupt.

"I don't _want_ your mom! I want _mine!_" she nearly shouted. She was crying again, she realized. Zira quickly swept a paw across her face to get rid of the evidence but found, as she did so, that someone had placed a soft fuzzy foreleg around her back and was drawing her into a hug.

"It's okay, Zira," Mufasa comforted, squeezing her gently. Somewhere behind them Sarafina shifted slightly but nobody paid her any mind. "It's okay."

And with that, the floodgates opened a second time.

"I – I – I just _can't,_" Zira stammered between sharp breaths, tears she didn't think she had spilling down her face in abundance. "I miss her so – so much. Knowing I won't ever – won't ever see her again..."

"That's why you need to remember," Mufasa whispered. "I know if it was me I would be hurting just as bad as you are, but I'd hurt worse if I didn't think about when she was still here with us."

"But it hurts to remember," Zira protested.

"Don't think about what you lost. Think about what you still have," Mufasa instructed. "Go on. I know you can do it. What did you like most about your mom?"

Zira laid her head on Mufasa's shoulder while she thought. And thought. And thought. Everything her mother had ever done for her, even the parts Zira wished she hadn't put her through like making her integrate with their new pride all on her own and punishing her when she misbehaved, everything had had one thing in common.

"She loved me," Zira answered at last. The truth was there, like an open flame warming her from the inside out.

"'Loved' you?" questioned Mufasa. Zira blinked in confusion.

"What?"

"Sorry, I should've phrased that better. Do you think she stopped loving you just because she – moved on?" Mufasa asked.

Zira pulled away and looked at him like he wasn't making any sense. Mufasa cleared his throat.

"A long time ago my mom taught me that when we die, we only leave for awhile," he explained. "Your mom still loves you, wherever she is. And I know you'll see her again some day."

The lioness sitting beside him suddenly looked very, very sad.

"How do you know that for sure?" she asked tentatively.

"Because my mom never lies," Mufasa stated simply. Zira looked up at the bright blue sky outside. It was a beautiful thought that her mother was waiting for her somewhere beyond the here and now.

"I'll see my mother again some day," she repeated in a whisper. She wanted to believe it. It really sounded wonderful – almost too good to be true. Mufasa nodded encouragingly.

"And until then, you have her love to remember her by. Never forget how much she loves you, Zira," the golden prince said, pulling her into another hug. To their surprise, another pair of furry legs linked around them and joined in the warmth of the moment.

"In the meantime..." added Prince Taka from his brother's left.

"... you've got us," finished Sarafina, nuzzling up against Zira's right.

Mufasa beamed gratefully at his two friends for joining in on the moment like this.

"That's right," said Mufasa. "You've got –"

"– friends," said a fifth voice from beside Sarafina. All four of the young lions looked over in mild surprise.

"Sarabi?" Zira asked. None of them had heard her approach from behind them, not even the two latecomers. The dark cream adolescent smiled playfully.

"I thought you were still grounded," said Mufasa, raising an eyebrow.

"Mom didn't even try to stop me," Sarabi boasted. Her orange eyes slid toward Zira. "I think she knew how much you needed this."

Zira, surrounded by her peers, had never felt so included. She would always miss her mother, but now that she knew she wasn't alone and that she would see her mother again one day...

"Thank you," she said, a happy tear making its way down her cheek. "Thank you all."

* * *

Uru and Safi watched the five growing lions, their pride's next generation, as they rallied to support one of their number in her personal struggles. The queen noted with pride that it had been Mufasa, their future king, who had led them in the act. He would make a wonderful ruler one day, of that she felt assured.

"That was you and us not so long ago," remarked Safi, pulling Uru out of her thoughts about her oldest son. The soft golden-cream female was referring to, of course, the passing of Queen Uru's late father, Mohatu. Uru furrowed her brow in remembrance.

"I don't remember anything like this," she said slowly. Her friends had never jumped in to give her a loving group hug after her father died. What was Safi talking about?

"That would be because we changed our minds when Ahadi started kissing you," said Safi, inspecting the claws on her left paw nonchalantly. Uru's eyes grew wide with realization.

That night so long ago she had sat in the same place Zira was sitting now, crying her eyes out. Her intended quietly approached her from behind, so quietly that she nearly had a heart attack when he began to speak about loss and what it meant to lose someone you cared about very much. Ahadi had wrapped one of his large forelegs around her frame and after a few more quick words, he had drawn her closer... closer...

"You watched the two us, didn't you?" she accused, stifling a laugh. "Safi, you nosy little –"

"Can you blame us? Ahadi was a very handsome young lion and it was _such_ a romantic scene," Safi giggled, nearly childlike in the way her eyes shone with mirth.

"I can't believe you!" Uru groaned. That had been her first real kiss. It was supposed to be a private moment, and they'd been _watched?!_

"I would have said something but I figured you were getting all the comfort you needed," Sarafina's mother joked, a sly grin splitting her face.

"Now I know where Sarafina gets it from," Uru shot back, sticking her tongue out for good measure.

"Meaning?" Safi questioned innocently.

"I caught her nearly kissing Mufasa the other day," Uru replied. Safi scoffed.

"I don't think she'd go quite that far just yet," the other female said.

"Believe me, Safi, she most certainly would have if Rafiki and I had not interrupted," the queen explained. "You should have seen her face when I asked her what game she'd been playing with Taka and Mufasa. I've never seen such a guilty expression!"

"And how did Mufasa take it?" Safi asked smugly.

"About as you'd expect," Uru shrugged. "He isn't used to the idea of romantic thoughts. It will be awhile yet before he begins to think of the girls as more than just friends."

"Still haven't picked a mate for him, then?" Safi asked. Uru did not miss the meaning behind her question.

"We have, actually," she answered.

"... and?" the other adult pressed.

"I'm afraid I can't say just yet," Uru said. Safi nodded.

"If it isn't Sarafina it'll break her poor little heart, I'm sure," the lioness said casually.

"Because it's completely fair to make me potentially worry about something like that," said the queen darkly.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about her feelings too much," Safi chuckled. "I got over Ahadi, didn't I? As we have already established, like mother, like daughter."

The lioness sighed a bit wistfully and a dreamy look came over her face as though she was remembering bittersweet memories. Uru leaned back and looked Safi up and down suspiciously.

"You _did_ get over Ahadi, didn't you?" she asked.

Safi merely winked. When Uru's face drew into an upset frown Safi's own broke into a huge grin.

"You're terrible," Uru laughed as she finally caught on to the joke. "I don't know why I remained friends with you for all these years. You tease me relentlessly."

"It's because we get along so well," Safi said sagely, pretending not to have heard the bit about teasing. The queen shook her head.

"It's a miracle we ever grew up," she said.

"It's a miracle _you_ ever grew up," Safi corrected. "Nobody can make enemies like Princess Uru of the Pridelands. I wonder what happened to that little brat? I haven't seen her for a long time."

"She matured a little," Uru smiled, "and learned not to judge by appearances."

"Just as well," said Safi, lifting a paw to touch the diamond-shaped marking on the queen's forehead. "I always did think this was wasted on somebody like her."

"Are you two finished yet?" interrupted a third voice. Uru and Safi looked around for the source and found Hari glaring at them. "Somebody just _died_ and here you are, carrying on like this was some kind of celebration."

"I _apologize_ for spoiling the solemn mood," Safi began at once, but Uru laid a paw across hers to gently silence her.

"Are you feeling all right, Hari?" the queen asked softly. Hari looked away sharply.

"No," she said after a long wait. Hari looked back at the other two adults. "It's easy for you to mourn and move on. You accepted Kasiri and made her welcome. I treated her like dirt. And I encouraged Sarabi to mistreat Zira in the same way. Now she's dead, and I..."

Uru chewed her lower lip a bit before answering for the lioness. "You feel guilty," she said quietly. Hari hung her head.

"I should have charged that zebra myself. There was an opening where he was vulnerable, but I hesitated too long. Kasiri was never supposed to be part of the attacking team; she was one of the ambushers. She had to step in because I failed, and she paid the price for it with her life," Hari said. It sounded rehearsed, as though she had been reviewing that fateful moment in her head over and over ever since it had happened. "I made her life miserable and now it's my fault she's dead, too."

"Hari, no," Uru said at once, rising to sit beside the stocky female. "That's no way to think."

"But it's true," insisted Hari. "Do you remember what I said to her when we first met?"

Uru did, as a matter of fact, but she felt she would rather not repeat the hurtful words here and now. They would likely not do much to help Hari see reason.

"That's beside the point, Hari," Safi said, joining in on the conversation. "I've said my share of terrible things to you and Uru, and we all know what Uru was like when she was a cub."

Uru looked at Safi with a tinge of annoyance. Did she have to keep bringing that up?

"And how many of those things did either of you actually _mean?_" Hari demanded. She nodded in grim satisfaction when neither Safi nor Uru spoke out again. "As I thought."

"I probably meant some of them at the time," Safi muttered inaudibly.

"I won't say what you put Kasiri through was acceptable, Hari, because it wasn't, but you didn't kill her," Uru said firmly, ignoring the jabs at the way they had all behaved in their youth.

"I as good as killed her," retorted Hari. "I put her in a position where she felt she had something to prove and that drove her to take an unnecessary risk. I didn't trample her to death but I might as well have!"

"Hari, you must understand. You are not responsible for Kasiri's death," Uru repeated, emphasizing each word in turn to drive the point home. "Do you feel sorry for what you put her through?"

Hari nodded in reply to the queen's question. She did feel sorry. So, so sorry. She never had any right to treat Kasiri like she didn't belong here, not when she worked so hard for so long to earn a place among them. Zira, too, had suffered as a result of her prejudices. Furthermore her unwillingness to see past her differences with Kasiri had driven a wedge between her and lionesses she once considered friends, for they would not tolerate her harsh attitude for long. In the end her bigotry had hurt her, too.

"Then you know what you have to do," the russet-colored lioness said simply. Safi nodded. Hari looked to the pride's youth, her orange eyes coming to rest on the striped silhouette of Kasiri's daughter.

"_You see, Sarabi, their last pride wouldn't have them because they were untrustworthy. They came here looking for a new place to live, another pride to take advantage of. Don't trust them, Sarabi, not the outsider or her cub."_

"It won't be easy..." Change never was easy, Hari thought, wishing she could will the memories away. "But I suppose you're right, Your Majesty."

"Just Uru," the queen corrected kindly. "We'll be family at some point, Hari. You needn't keep calling me 'Your Majesty.'"

Safi perked up.

"Sarabi?" she asked, randomly continuing the conversation she and her friend had been having mere minutes before. Uru let her head fall forward in embarrassment; Safi grinned. "I take it that was supposed to be a surprise."

"Only a little," the Queen of Pride Rock said, voice full of amused exasperation. Hari laughed softly. Before long all three of the lionesses were engaged in discussion about the happier times of their shared childhood, though Hari continued to shoot anxious looks in Zira's direction as the day wore on. Sooner or later she would need to apologize to the girl...

* * *

Ahadi shook his head, permitting his thick black mane to scatter comfortably in the afternoon breeze. Lionesses liked males with darker manes, he had been told, but in the savannah sun the added heat was oftentimes unbearable – like a certain mandrill hermit.

Rafiki had been following him at a short distance for some time now, to his chagrin, and in his opinion the monkey had been doing a poor job of it. Ahadi sighed.

"Is there something I can help you with?" he called over his shoulder. Rafiki was by his side in an instant, it seemed.

"Ah, but it is Rafiki who should be asking that," the shaman said, dancing around the lion so that they were face to face.

"I've no time for your games today," Ahadi growled. "What do you want?"

The monkey scratched his chin with one hand, making a show of thinking carefully.

"Rafiki would like to advise you, Your Majesty," he said at last, bowing low. Ahadi merely looked at him at first but slowly broke into a deep-voiced laugh. Rafiki was serious, and Ahadi thought it was hilarious.

"I do not need your advice, Rafiki. I have ruled this kingdom for two years without your help, and I will rule it until I die and my son rises in my place."

Rafiki grinned up at the king.

"Rafiki thought you would say this," the monkey said. "The winds, they have told him all about stubborn King Ahadi."

"Did they tell you that he only has so much patience to expend on troublesome characters such as yourself?"

"Ah, no," Rafiki shook his head. "But someone who knows you very well gave Rafiki as much warning as she could!"

"Which, evidently, was not quite enough," Ahadi said flatly, refusing to rise to Rafiki's bait. The things Rafiki had asked Uru about her mate had little bearing on the direction this conversation was about to take. What Ahadi didn't realize was that Rafiki was not referring to the queen.

"You do not believe Rafiki?" asked the monkey, feigning hurt at Ahadi's sarcastic tone.

"I do not believe in your superstitions," the lion dismissed. "I care nothing for your traditions. They are _your_ traditions, not mine."

"And yet... you buried her," Rafiki said, leaning toward the king with a soft smile on his face. Ahadi froze as Rafiki laid one of his hands against his shoulder, unable to stem the tide of memories that suddenly surged within him.

_He watched almost detachedly as his paws tore up clumps of the cold, unfeeling earth, preparing a final resting place for the dead lioness beside him. Tears speckled her fur as he nudged her forward, rolling her into her grave – _his_ tears._

"_I'm sorry..." Ahadi whimpered, arranging her forelegs so that it looked like she was merely resting. "I'm so sorry..."_

With a great effort Ahadi schooled his thoughts and returned to the present.

Early this morning he had found Kasiri's body and laid it in a nearby ravine, carefully piling stone atop her broken form until she was respectfully hidden from view. It was customary in the Pridelands for the king to look after the deceased and Ahadi had done so, fulfilling his duty. He just didn't think anybody had been watching. How long, exactly, had Rafiki been following him? Had he merely been pretending not to be stealthy just now? And what _else_ had he seen Ahadi do?

"You are an interfering little –" the great lion started, sudden rage building within him.

"You commended her to the Great Kings of the Past, too," Rafiki interrupted, pointing out that Ahadi had prayed over the deceased. "Rafiki heard you."

"_Enough,_" Ahadi seethed. This conversation was over. In a violent whirl of black mane and powerful muscle the King of Pride Rock stalked off before he did something he would regret. Uru was the seat of power in the Pridelands and so he could not banish Rafiki from the kingdom without her leave, but in his temper there was no telling what injuries – grievous or otherwise – he might inflict if he did not turn his back on the discussion _now._

"King Ahadi of the Pridelands was not always faithless," Rafiki said quietly to the lion's retreating form. "What happened to him?"

Ahadi's stride stiffened for a moment, but in the end he said nothing and carried on homeward.


	9. New Friends, Old Enemies

Taka padded around the base of Pride Rock, looking this way and that for one of his friends. Mufasa was going to be busy for the better part of today – stuck in preparation for some kind of celebration taking place this evening. Sarabi was nowhere to be seen, either. This was the perfect opportunity, the chance he'd been waiting for!

Now, if only he could find her...

As if in response to his wishes he caught sight of the cream-colored pelt of Sarafina, the girl he had had his eye on for a little while now, as she crouched low to stalk a large grasshopper.

"Sarafina," Taka greeted warmly, flashing her what he thought passed for a winning smile.

"Oh, hey Taka," the young adolescent lioness returned, abandoning her little hunt and trotting over to met him. "Maybe you know where he's gotten to. Have you seen Mufasa around?"

"My brother is indisposed at the moment," said Taka. He smiled. "Sarabi also seems to be missing in action and Zira is catching up on missed sleep. I think it's just the two of us for now."

"Indisposed?" Sarafina repeated, tilting her head.

"Mother wanted him for something-or-other," Taka explained. "She said it might take awhile."

"Oh," she replied, sounding and looking disappointed.

"So... do you want to – I don't know – go for a walk or something?" Taka offered.

"Yeah, sure," Sarafina brightened up immediately. "Might as well, right? No point hanging around here while everyone's busy."

"Excellent," replied Taka. The pair fell into step beside one another.

"Where to?" asked Sarafina, looking down at Taka. He _was_ slightly shorter than her, after all.

"I know just the place," Taka announced, lifting his head proudly.

"And where's that?" questioned Sarafina.

"Can't tell you," answered Taka.

"A surprise, huh? Will I like it?" she smiled.

"Definitely," the russet prince confirmed, smiling back.

In reality Taka didn't know where he was going to take Sarafina. The watering hole was too dull, the four's little tree and their "Cub Rock" landmark beside it was too predictable, and everywhere else was either too underwhelming or too outlandish. He could hardly take her to the outskirts of the kingdom. After all, not only had he never been there himself but the lands there were unsafe.

As they walked Taka peeked over at his companion. Sarafina really was beautiful. Her pale fur looked very soft, almost silky to the touch, and her eyes were a stunning shade of sea green. What he wouldn't give to be looking into those eyes this very minute... Taka felt himself blushing under his fur and looked away abruptly. They were barely older than cubs. Was it right for him to be thinking about his friend like this?

"Pretty day, isn't it?" Sarafina said cheerily.

"Yeah," agreed Taka, his green eyes locked onto the girl beside him. "I mean, yes. Pretty day."

And yet... and yet... there was something about her that he couldn't place, something that made him hope it was okay that he thought she was attractive. She was kind and had often spoken a cheerful word when she noticed him feeling down, a thing Taka never failed to appreciate. He always got a funny feeling in his stomach whenever Sarafina laughed at one of his jokes, too. And after watching how close she had come to his brother two days ago Taka had regretted dodging out of her way.

The only problem was, how was he supposed to tell her how he felt?

Taka, intelligent, witty, charming Prince Taka, had no idea how to approach this situation. He was not like his brother, who could probably tackle it head on and stumble through it with very few problems in spite of the fact that he didn't know what he was doing. Taka wanted everything to be perfect. More importantly, Taka wanted her to take him seriously. He really, really hoped she wouldn't laugh, or worse, turn him down. Taka took a deep breath, then rushed ahead. There was only one way to find out how she would react.

"Sarafina, I –" the young lion began.

"Did you ever notice that birds always fly circles in the same direction?" Sarafina interrupted, her gaze fixed on a distant patch of sky where what could have been any one of a number of predatory birds was circling idly. "Why is that, Taka?"

"I don't... I don't know," he chuckled awkwardly, incredibly disappointed by the sudden change of topic. He had done his best to work up his nerve, and now it almost felt like he was deflating. Taka steeled himself for another attempt – or tried to.

"Really?" Sarafina asked, frowning. "Too bad, you always seem to know a lot. I guess it's just a mystery."

They padded on in silence for a few more strides, and then –

"Hey, do you think Mufasa might know?" the young female blurted.

"Why would Mufasa know?" Taka asked incredulously. Sarafina shrugged.

"Maybe your dad had to teach him about the birds as part of his training to be king," she suggested.

"I doubt it," the prince grumbled. Now they were going to talk about his brother, too? No way! Taka wanted to tell Sarafina how he felt, not talk about Mufasa's lessons. He didn't know anything about those, anyway, since their father refused to let Taka sit in on them. His chance was slipping away. If he wanted to do this, then he had to act now!

"Sarafina?" He cleared his throat. She looked around at him curiously. "Have you ever felt... things?"

"I've felt lots of things," she laughed, raising an eyebrow and grinning in light confusion.

"Feelings, then," Taka got more specific.

"Lots of those, too," Sarafina continued, still looking at him as though he weren't making any sense.

"For somebody else?" He was messing this up so badly. Why?

"Well..." Sarafina said, her eyes suddenly fixed on her paws. "Yes. And no. Sort of?"

Taka's heart skipped a beat.

"Me, too," he confessed. The roof of his mouth suddenly felt dry.

"I mean, there's mom," said Sarafina, "but everyone loves their parents..."

"I like you, Sarafina," the russet prince said at last. His heart was racing in his chest, drumming a steady rhythm that was half-panic, half-excitement.

"I like you too, Taka," Sarafina replied absentmindedly, completely lost in her thoughts about her crush. "I just wish I knew for sure whether he liked me back or not. He didn't seem too certain one way or the other..."

And, just like that, Taka knew which one of the brothers Sarafina preferred. It was like she hadn't even _heard_ him, she'd been so busy thinking about Mufasa. Had they even been having the same conversation? It felt like part of him shriveled up and died when she didn't acknowledge his confession. Taka lowered his head in defeat and broke away from her, heading off into the tall grass on his own. Today had been so promising, but now Taka wished he would have just kept to himself. Maybe if he had instead approached her yesterday... or tomorrow... or the day after... or never...

"Taka? Where are you going?" Sarafina called after him, turning to follow him.

"Just leave me alone," Taka answered monotonously. There was a dull ache in his chest that made it hard for him to speak.

"Is it something I said?" she asked. Sarafina looked legitimately surprised that Taka would behave like this. Hadn't they been going to go for a walk together? Why had he suddenly changed his mind? The prince paused for a minute, torn between extremes. The hurt part of him wanted to lash out and the disappointed part of him wanted to try again. He wrestled with the two, but eventually the former proved to be the stronger emotion. If even now she couldn't see why he was acting this way then she was a lost cause.

"You know what?" Taka hissed over his shoulder, tail flicking in irritation. "Forget it. Go home, Sarafina."

Sarafina blinked in confusion, then sat down on her haunches and watched her friend disappear into the waving savannah grasses. It was some time before her face fell into a look of shock and a soft gasp slipped past her lips as the purpose of Taka getting her on her own like this, and the words he'd been saying before his abrupt change in disposition, finally sunk in. She felt sudden guilt for what she'd unintentionally done to poor Taka. He had taken such a daring step, she knew, as she had done the same not long ago. The only difference between them was that Mufasa had been receptive to the idea and she had not...

At the very least she could have let Taka down gently. Something, _anything,_ other than this. She could imagine very well what he was currently going through.

"Taka?" she called tentatively in the direction he had vanished in. There was no response. He was gone.

* * *

Taka didn't know what hurt worse – the fact that he had been tacitly rejected, or the fact that she didn't seem to mind how it made him feel. The girl he thought was so pretty and kind and all the rest had eyes only for Mufasa. _Like everybody else._ It was not fair! What did his brother have that he didn't? Why did everyone – literally _everyone_ – think that Mufasa alone was deserving of their attention? Couldn't life have given him this one thing, this one little thing, to make him feel special or important? Just once?

The worst part was that she hadn't even been listening to what he had been saying. The words that had taken him every ounce of courage he possessed to say had fallen on completely deaf ears. But Taka had been listening to her – oh yes, he had – and unless he was very much mistaken Sarafina had just heavily implied that Mufasa already knew how she felt about him. Mufasa knew, and he had still agreed to let Sarafina choose between them. He could have told Taka right then when he had told his older brother that he thought he had a crush on Sarafina, but Mufasa chose to let his little brother go through this instead!

All the anticipation, all the hurt, all the embarrassment, all the fear of rejection. Mufasa could have spared him all of it.

_And he chose not to!_

Taka loved his brother, he really did, but Mufasa was making it very difficult for him to continue loving him right now. What kind of brother just lets days like today happen? What kind? Taka would never have done something like this to Mufasa.

Would he?

Yes, there was the growing temptation to make himself look good at Mufasa's expense but, as a small voice inside his head deigned to point out, he had not actually done so. Mufasa had no reason not to tell him that Sarafina had given him her confession except to try and spare Taka's feelings, but Taka would much rather have heard this piece of bad news from his brother than from Sarafina herself. Taka trusted Mufasa. Didn't Mufasa trust him in return?

Head down and mind lost in angry and jealous thoughts, Taka did not notice exactly how far he was straying from Pride Rock...

* * *

"Do you _mind?_"

"Do I mind _what?_"

Mindless laughter.

"You're screwing up the shade. Get out of that tree!"

"Where's your sense of adventure? Besides, the breeze is nicer up here."

More mindless laughter.

They were three slate gray hyena pups, one basking in the meager shade of a slender, growing Acacia tree, another splitting the branches covering the first apart so that the sun filtered through while he attempted to climb it, and the third lounging around in the open with a wild grin on his face. Only this last hyena appeared at all happy; the other two wore surly expressions.

"I said," cried the one trying to enjoy the shade, "get _out_ of that tree!"

She kicked the trunk with all of her might, the vibrations running up its narrow trunk and dislodging the pup above. He fell with a thump directly on top of her, and the pair were quickly entangled in a contentious fight.

"What was _that_ for?!" the fallen pup demanded, kicking at his aggressor's face.

"Because, Banzai, you were _screwing up the shade._ Are you deaf?" the female demanded, taking a good bite out of Banzai's leg.

"Ah, jeez, Shenzi! Quit it! That hurts!" he yowled, struggling against the painful grip she on his hind leg. "Hey Ed, lend me a paw!"

The third hyena, eyes pointing in separate directions, nodded vigorously and set to on Banzai's foreleg. Both sets of teeth only elicited more agonized shouting from the unfortunate pup, and before long all three of them were rolling around clawing and snapping at one another.

"You – are – the – _worst,_" Banzai was saying, trying and failing to shake Ed off. Ed simply continued to laugh as he chomped away until, at last, Banzai retrieved his foreleg and left his friend chewing on empty air.

"Reminds me of what we had for breakfast," Shenzi observed, watching Ed happily munch away on nothing.

"Ah, shut up. You both just had some of _me_ for breakfast," grumbled Banzai, massaging his legs where the other two had gone to town.

"What was that?" the female asked, stomping hard on Banzai's tail.

"Ouch! I said you could stand to eat a bit more of that. Right, Ed?"

Ed nodded like the idiot he was.

"You calling me fat?" Shenzi demanded. When Ed foolishly continued to nod Shenzi dove at him, reaching for his neck. Rolling his eyes and ignoring the scene of violence unfolding below him, Banzai returned to his perch in the stubby young tree – and not a moment too soon.

"Hey, you guys," he called, voice full of alarm. Shenzi looked up, pausing in the act of throttling poor Ed.

"_What?_ Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Strangle Ed later, we got company! There's a lion coming this way!" Banzai shouted, leaping back to the ground.

The trio quickly composed themselves and tried to find hiding places in the thicker sections of grass nearby. Ed, however, simply ran around the growing tree in circles, his frenzied eyes full of fear. He was still running when a distracted-looking adolescent lion appeared directly in his path. Ed froze, backpedaling furiously to keep from colliding with the terrible spectacle before him. He had green eyes! And reddish fur! And a sour expression! Regaining his footing, the hyena retreated a short distance and squatted with his back to the intruder, paws covering his head protectively as though this would obscure him from view.

Taka was utterly nonplussed by the hyena's behavior. More importantly, however, he was surprised to find hyenas in the Pridelands. At the very least they were young hyenas, Taka thought. Three pups were no match for an adolescent, no matter how scrawny he might have appeared. Perhaps he could score some points with his father if he ran them out...

"Banzai, you idiot, that's not a _lion,_" Shenzi said, rising from her cover. "That's just a cub."

Taka narrowed his eyes. _Just a cub?_

"I'm older than that, actually," he corrected with a sneer. His pride had been hurt one too many times today and he was not about to endure any more insults. "Who are you and what are you doing in Pridelander territory?"

"Nunya," Shenzi shot back immediately.

"Nunya?" repeated Taka. It was either a very strange name, or else not part of any language he had ever heard.

"Nunya _business,_" the hyena trilled, flashing an emerging Banzai a triumphant look. From his cowering position Ed started laughing manically again. Taka was unamused.

"A trio of trespassers, then," he murmured. A very sly grin graced his muzzle and he stepped forward into the clearing. "Do you know what we lions do to animals who enter our kingdoms uninvited?"

"Hah! Good one. You can't do anything to us," Shenzi cackled.

"Technically, he can. I mean, we are on his –" Banzai caught a glimpse of Shenzi's expression and swallowed the rest of his reply.

"I'm afraid you've worn out your welcome," said Taka in his best attempt to appear menacing. It must have worked because one of the hyenas suddenly looked a little more anxious.

"C'mon, Shenzi, let's just go," Banzai hissed, ribbing her with one of his elbows.

"Stuff it, Banzai," the girl retorted, swatting him in the gut in return. She looked back at Taka as the male doubled over, wheezing. "And who's gonna make us leave? You?"

Taka unsheathed his claws in reply; what followed was a fairly short physical altercation in which Prince Taka thoroughly routed the pair of hyenas while the third remained cowering in fear.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Shenzi complained, rubbing at a spot on her shoulder where Taka had managed to catch her good with one of his paws; some light scratches were visible through her dark fur.

"I'll give that thought some consideration while you're on your way out," the lion replied smugly, completely savoring the feeling of being the best and greatest in the general vicinity. It made a nice change from his regular experiences.

"How come we gotta leave, anyhow? We ain't done nothing," Banzai complained.

"Yeah, and the only reason you beat us is because we haven't eaten today," Shenzi grumbled.

"And why not?" Taka asked, more to relish his position as the victor by demanding information from his defeated foes than because he was truly curious about their situation.

"There isn't anything to eat," said Banzai, rubbing his stomach. "Not a lot, anyway."

"You lions take all the best hunting ground," Shenzi said in an accusatory tone. "Leaves next to nothing for the rest of us."

Taka had gone hungry before when circumstance interfered with the hunting party and so he knew what the three hyena pups before him were currently going through. Almost against his better judgment he felt a pang of pity for their situation. Hungry, left alone to watch themselves while their guardians were out doing who-knew-what, thoroughly humiliated by a passing stranger...

"Maybe," said Taka hesitantly, "maybe we can make a... a deal, then."

That got their attention.

"What sort of deal?" both the hyenas asked. The third one, Ed, peeked clumsily through his paws at the proceedings.

"I beat you both fair and square," began Taka, his mind suddenly throbbing with the possibilities. What he was doing, or what he was about to do, would probably get him in no small amount of trouble but after the mess with Sarafina Prince Taka was feeling rather reckless. "You have to admit that. By all rights I could chase you out of here and leave you for your parents to find out there beyond our borders."

There was some quiet grumbling from the hyenas, but they didn't disagree.

"But I won't. _If,_" Taka said, "you will become my... subordinates."

Shenzi and Banzai turned to look at one another with confused expressions.

"Meaning...?" Shenzi asked.

"You do what I say," shrugged Taka, grinning nearly ear to ear at the prospect. "I can see you're hesitant, so I'll give you a moment to yourselves."

And with that, Taka turned his back on the two. Shenzi retrieved Ed and the trio sat in a huddle to discuss the proposition.

"I think we should do it," argued Shenzi at once in a very carrying whisper. "We might get some food out of the deal."

"Or mom could just slit his throat and we could eat him," Banzai chuckled, licking his chops.

"Shut up, stupid! You want him to overhear you? I say we go along with his stupid game for now, earn his trust, and see if the family can set up shop here on the border. The hunting's way better in the valley where his pride lives. You really wanna trade one scrawny cub for a chance at some nice fat zebra?"

Banzai had to admit, Shenzi had a point.

"What do you think, Ed?" the two asked together. Ed nodded stupidly. The three broke their huddle, unanimous in their decision. Taka, who had of course heard everything, had to admit that the prospect of being eaten was rather disturbing but since they decided not to go that route...

"Excellent," he said. "I suggest we introduce ourselves, first of all. I want your names. Starting with you."

Shenzi looked down at his outstretched paw. "Shenzi," she shrugged.

"Banzai," said the male beside her. Taka turned expectantly to the third hyena but he appeared to be too occupied biting his hind leg to answer.

"What's wrong with him?" Taka asked, watching the last pup gnaw on his own leg with an expression of disgust. The two hyenas shrugged.

"That's Ed," said Shenzi, leaving him to his strangeness. She fixed a glare on Taka. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"Taka. _Prince_ Taka," he declared proudly. Shenzi leaned over to Banzai.

"And you wanted to _eat_ him," she hissed behind a paw. Shenzi looked back to Taka and huffed. "Prince or not, Taka's not really a suitable name for our... boss. You need something that rolls off the tongue, something that commands respect."

"Yeah, what idiot named you Taka anyway?" Banzai interjected.

"That would be _my mother,_" Taka gritted his teeth.

"Oh, sure, Taka's a lovely name. I just love hearing it. Taka, Taka, Taka," Shenzi backtracked immediately.

"Me too. Feels kinda festive-y," grinned Banzai. "You like it too, right Ed?"

Ed shook his head in the negative; Banzai slapped him as hard as he could.

"Right," said Taka. "Well then. Today's meeting was a refreshing change of pace, but I'm afraid I have to return before my absence is noticed. Being a prince has some disadvantages to it, you know. Do you see this tree?"

Taka gestured to the stunted Acacia in the center of the small clearing. The hyenas all nodded, even Ed.

"Meet me here again in two days," the russet prince commanded. "And come on your own."

"You got it, boss," nodded Shenzi.

"Yeah, whatever you say, boss," Banzai agreed. Ed laughed like an idiot.

The corners of Taka's lips lifted ever-so-slightly as these three hyenas all started calling him _boss._ Now, that was the kind of recognition he had been craving lately! So Sarafina wouldn't have him and his parents were obviously biased in Mufasa's favor. Nobody could take his new friends – no, subordinates – away from him. Not if he was smart enough to keep it secret from his father. Taka began the long trek back to Pride Rock, oddly content after his rather disappointing morning. Maybe today hadn't been a waste after all...

* * *

Two vivid red eyes looked down onto the peaceful valley stretching around the prominent landmark known as Pride Rock, surveying the kingdom and all it contained. The plentiful herds, the endless pastures of tall grass, the scattered stands of Acacia trees – each in turn was examined, appraised, by the hungry scarlet gaze. This territory was wealthy beyond compare, and so very large. There was no other kingdom like to it in all of existence, not that the eyes had ever seen – and there was much that they had seen in their long years upon this earth.

_Much._

Behind him came the soft footfalls of another lion, male, dark-maned and pale-furred. He bore the physical symptoms of lack: lack of food, lack of sleep, lack of care. His own eyes, a deep shade of lilac, were bloodshot but twinkled in spite of his tired appearance. "It is beautiful, isn't it Your Majesty?" the male asked.

The eyes slid to the right to acknowledge the presence of the intruder. The lion they belonged to, tall, thin, chestnut-maned and dark tan-pelted, stiffened and tensed in a way that communicated that the other lion's presence was not welcome.

"No, I apologize. I did not mean to intrude," bowed the male respectfully, backing a step away. He was again met by silence, though the lion – royalty of some sort – tossed his head in indication that now that he was here, the other male should stay. He joined his king in examining the Pridelands, watching from a distance as a group of lionesses dragged an unidentifiable carcass back toward their den. Oh, what he wouldn't trade for just a piece off its flank... His stomach growled at the thought and he lifted a paw to massage his empty belly. Soon, he promised himself. Soon.

"Do you think they remember you?" the lion asked curiously – in part to break the silence, in part to get his mind off the subject of food.

The older lion didn't answer aloud but he lifted a paw, unsheathed his claws, and then drove them deep into the earth that topped the rise on the kingdom's northern border in one swift motion. If the Pridelanders had forgotten, then he would _make_ them remember.


	10. Ithabise!

That night the pride had gathered in the dens just before dusk at the request of the king and queen, who stood to either side of the pride's heir, Prince Mufasa, on the slightly raised platform where the royal family slept. The golden adolescent lion looked very nervous, and the adults who were wise enough to understand what was about to happen gave him sympathetic and supportive looks. In the crowd a slightly bulky young female with warm tan fur shifted back and forth anxiously. Sarabi had naively dreamed of tonight for a very long time. A very, very long time.

She looked to the young prince sitting between his two parents and found that he was looking back at her. She smiled nervously, but it was a gesture he did not return. Did he like her the way she liked him, she wondered? Sarabi had always had an interest in the pride's future king. For as long as she could remember she had been the first at his side in almost every argument, the first to volunteer to play on Mufasa's team during their cubhood games, the first to talk about how she found him cute bordering on handsome. She hoped this trend of being his first would continue well into their adult years, because Sarabi did not want anyone else to be with Mufasa when he grew into adulthood.

At least, that was how she felt right now.

Queen Uru had taken her and Prince Mufasa aside earlier today and explained what was to take place tonight, and what followed was a very lengthy and awkward discussion about what it meant to have a mate. Questions had been asked, secrets had been revealed, feelings had been confessed, ground rules had been laid down, and only Queen Uru had emerged from the wreckage relatively unscathed. As an adult with a mate and two children of her own no subject had been covered that she hadn't already experienced for herself. Mufasa and Sarabi, however, had been relatively shell-shocked by the ordeal – "the Talk," some parents called it.

But Sarabi was also overwhelmed by the sudden increase in her responsibilities. In addition to her training as a hunter she was now expected to take lessons in politics, etiquette, and the other important qualities of a good ruler from Queen Uru to match the lessons Mufasa was receiving from King Ahadi, and during social occasions she was obligated to make appearances beside the prince as his consort. She and the prince were also required – not requested, but _required_ – to spend supervised time alone with one another at least once a month on what Queen Uru had referred to as _outings._ This was, she explained, a good way for them to truly get to know one another prior to – well, all the rest.

The young lioness felt lost in her new world, and somewhat afraid of the path that had been chosen for her, too. What if Mufasa _didn't_ ever grow to feel anything for her, or if her feelings for him turned out to be nothing more than youthful infatuation? Could they rule the kingdom together merely as friends? Was she doomed to love a lion who did not love her back? And a new word began to haunt her secret thoughts: _consummation._ One way or the other it frightened her to think that she would some day need to give herself to Mufasa and bear him offspring to continue the royal line. If there was no love between them then, would there be any way to annul their union and go their separate ways, or would she be forced to go through with it regardless of her own feelings?

This liking-the-prince thing had gotten a little out of hand, in Sarabi's opinion. She had received far more than she had bargained for. Still, she looked to the future, their future, with hope. For Mufasa she would try.

Queen Uru, looking out over the crowd and finding all the lionesses present and accounted for, decided that now was the time to begin. Tonight's proceedings would not take long to resolve, and the sooner the announcement was made the sooner the fun could begin. She took a step forward and cleared her throat, drawing the focus of the pride of lionesses squarely on her. Hushed talk between friends and acquaintances faded away into respectful attention as heads turned, though some of the younger cubs had to be told to be silent by their embarrassed mothers.

"Good evening, Pridelanders," she began in a loud voice. "Tonight is a night of special significance for our pride and for our pride's future. Long ago a tradition was begun within the royal family, a tradition to promote stability and harmony within the pride. I am speaking, of course, of arranged marriages for the royal heir."

That announcement caused a certain amount of stir among members of the audience. Queen Uru had confirmed what many of the adults had already guessed. But who had they chosen for Mufasa? Uru smiled and continued.

"Though not every betrothal has been immediately met with rejoicing –" her eyes darted to the lion standing on the other side of their firstborn at this – "each and every match, made carefully by the pride's rulers with the advice of trusted confidants and the wisdom of our ancient ancestors' spirits, has resulted in suitable successors to the throne and a continuation of the royal lineage. King Ahadi and I have deliberated long over this matter and, at last, we have chosen your future queen."

Uru paused a moment for dramatic effect, stepping to one side to create an open space between herself and her son. Her amber eyes quickly scanned the crowd for the young lioness she had met with for the better part of the day; Uru nodded to signify that it was time. "Take your place among the royal family, Princess Consort Sarabi."

Sarabi's heart thundered in her chest as, step by step, she walked the long path to her new role in the pride. How many people could see her right here, right now? How many would hear about Queen Uru's announcement tonight, listen to the stories told of this very moment after she herself was grown and gone? It felt like the _entire world_ was watching her. The anxious young lioness looked all around her at the smiling faces of the adults in the pride and the awestruck expressions on the pride's young cubs peering up at her as though she were some kind of returning hero.

That was when Sarabi saw her.

Sarafina's eyes were wide with shock, her mouth hanging open in a voiceless cry of surprise. Sarabi's progress faltered in light of her best friend's emotional appearance. Sarafina liked Mufasa, she had once told Sarabi. Tonight must have dashed her hopes into little pieces. Though the moment when their eyes met lasted only a fraction of a second much was changed between the two friends in the interim. Sarabi knew that their friendship had been dealt a harsh blow, one that it would not recover from for a long time.

Sarafina felt like crying. That must have been obvious, however, because her mother swiftly put a foreleg around her back and began hushing her softly. Now she knew exactly what Prince Taka had been through earlier today. Someone had rejected her, too, even if they hadn't been the young lion she had a crush on. Mufasa's royal parents evidently didn't think she was, to borrow the queen's term for it, a suitable match for her firstborn. Sarafina wasn't good enough. Now she and the boy she liked couldn't be together.

"You did well," Uru bent her head to whisper as Sarabi joined the king and queen and their son, almost trembling with nerves as the young lioness shyly eyed Mufasa in her peripheral vision. Uru stood tall and proud as she addressed the pride once more. "In accordance with pride tradition, announcements of this kind are often accompanied by brief celebratory periods of revelry and merry-making. Parties," the queen summarized in a single word, earning laughs from some of the lionesses. "And tonight is no exception."

With that said Uru grinned, then lifted her paw and pounded it against the stone floor of the den. She repeated the action again, and again, and again, and the regular motion was slowly picked up by the other adults in the pride. Together they beat out a steady rhythm, one that Uru began to add half and quarter beats to while King Ahadi maintained the background cadence like a metronome with his large and heavy paws. They eventually made something of a brief contest out of it, Uru guiding her half of the den through more and more complicated rhythmic patterns requiring one, two, then all four of their paws, then turning to Ahadi and his side for their rebuttal, strong and sharp in contrast to Uru's light and quick movements.

The pride needed this, Uru thought, after the recent tragedy and loss of one of their number. It was moments like these where everyone was enjoying themselves that made life worth living and looking forward to. Everyone needed something to raise their spirits sometimes, after all!

The Queen began to sing when it seemed as though the lionesses were growing bored of the game of back-and-forth they were playing. Uru voiced a wordless melody that began low and arced slowly higher like the sun rising over the far western rim of the world. It was a song of coming into being, a celebration of what was and what was about to be. A chorus of voices, all in unison, joined in with her with a steady background chant, one that matched the underlying beat of their song and progressed along with Uru's vocals. Ahadi's deep voice joined in the chanting, too, reaching the low notes that the lionesses around him could not.

_Shwele baba  
Siyakubongela  
__Liqhakazise baba  
__Ngo thando!_  
_Moshanyana weso bo' itumele  
__Ngwana weso bo' ithabise_  
_Moshanyana weso bo' itumele_  
_Ithabise!_  
_Ithabise!  
__Ithabise!_

The music thus begun, some of the adults and even a few of the cubs started to dance. Ahadi peered over Mufasa and his intended and tipped his head in silent question to his queen. Uru tilted in acceptance, and together amid shouts of enthusiasm from some of the pride the pair of them stepped down from their platform and began to circle one another, their footfalls timed to the beat of the chanting. Their movements were at once wild and restrained, cheerful and serious. They complemented and mirrored one another's steps perfectly, alternating direction and even rubbing against one another in passing as they moved together through the music.

While they danced Uru thought long and hard about her own betrothal. She could not remember a ceremony such as this, as she had been affianced to Ahadi as soon as she had opened her eyes, but that did not matter. As they grew the bond that had been placed upon them pulled them together. Sometimes literally, in the case of her mate. Uru lost herself in the rhythm of the song, in the steady beat of her memories...

* * *

"Ahaaaaadi," called the princess, drawing out the middle syllable of his name the way she so often did. The adolescent lion, her prince consort, flattened his ears and took a steadying breath before answering.

"Yes, Uru?" Oh, how it positively stirred her little heart to hear him call her name! Uru rose and trotted over to the lion that would one day serve as her king, lowering herself into a resting position at his side. Her stomach began performing somersaults when their sides touched. She had always loved being close to him, being physical without necessarily being intimate. She was almost flirtatious in the way she let her intended know how she felt about him with ceaseless nuzzles and attempts to get him to hold her paw when they sat beside one another.

"Ahadi, daddy says there is to be an important meeting tonight near the watering hole," Uru chimed, leaning toward him so that their bodies came into even more contact. In a voice full of excitement she could not conceal, Uru added, "He says we are invited to the celebration beforehand!"

Ahadi, gold-pelted with copious amounts of dark fur sprouting on his neck and shoulders, turned his green eyes away from his mate-to-be. He should have been happy with the arrangement, everyone kept telling him so. Uru was the most drop-dead gorgeous young female in the pride, and she was infatuated with him. Her slender frame, the gently curving line of her back, her well-muscled limbs... Ahadi found all of her to be very appealing in ways he knew her father would not have approved of, but her personality was a thing that he couldn't stand. She treated him like an accessory at times, dragging him around with her to show him off to anyone who would pay attention.

That was what this was, too, if he was not mistaken. Traveling dignitaries from surrounding prides would be attending tonight's meeting, and that meant that their heirs would also be in attendance at this celebration, and that meant that it would be the perfect occasion for Uru to show off her Ahadi. _Her_ Ahadi. He was a commodity. He hated feeling this way. Couldn't his mother have waited to see if he developed feelings for someone on his own? Why did she have to tie him to this... this spoiled brat for the rest of his life? He could never love her, not while she used him as a trophy.

"I hope you have a wonderful time," Ahadi answered at last. Uru pursed her lips.

"Ahadi," she said in a warning voice. "I want to go to this celebration with you. It will be fun."

"I am your betrothed," Ahadi snapped. "I am not your slave."

"You are supposed to care about me," Uru protested, pulling a sorrowful expression. Ahadi turned to glare at her, completely unaffected by her fake tears.

"_You_ are supposed to care about _me,_" Ahadi retorted. "And you don't, do you, Uru? Oh, you say you do, but when we're alone, like now, you treat me like an object."

"That's not true," the russet lioness said, shaking her head vigorously. A look of alarm spread over her features at the tone Ahadi was using with her. "It's not..."

"What part of it isn't true? 'We're going to the celebration, Ahadi, and you have no say in the matter,'" Ahadi mimicked Uru's demanding voice. "Which part isn't true, Uru?"

With a dry laugh the growing lion rose and departed, leaving her sitting there in the den staring after him with her mouth half-opened in shock.

"The part where I don't care about you," Uru finished the argument on her own, dropping her eyes to her paws. "I do, Ahadi. I just..."

* * *

How different both of them had been all those years ago! Ahadi had been so taciturn and moody, and now here he was singing and dancing and being social. And she, she had progressed from putting down and using others to make herself feel important to standing as her own person, seeing all of the lions and lionesses around her for the valuable individuals that they were. The king and queen had made one another stronger, better, more complete. That was what love meant to Uru. That was what she hoped Mufasa would find in Sarabi. That was what she wanted to thank Ahadi for, to remind him of.

"I love you," she breathed to her mate as their feet led them past one another again.

"I want you," he whispered suggestively on the return pass, his shoulder lingering against her flank for half a beat too long. He had to move quickly to recover from his indulgence, disguising the flirtatious motion as an accidental misstep in the dance. When they broke apart and made to approach again his emerald eyes, drinking all of her in, barely concealed a look of ardent fervor. It had been some time since they had last become one, thought Uru. That he could still look at her like he was looking at her right now made her feel very desirable, even though she was not growing any younger.

"Later," she mouthed the word, completing her promise with a smile. If they left together now it would appear very conspicuous to all the observers present and Uru never had handled that sort of attention well. Matters of romance were supposed to be private, in her opinion. Almost as if on cue her progress through her circular step was interrupted by a certain gold-cream lioness whose face wore a very wide, very knowing smile.

Safi, shaking her head, pulled Uru into a popular hunter's dance with some of the other lionesses, forcing King Ahadi into the role of their quarry much to the amusement of the chanting onlookers. The irony of Safi's choice for each part was not lost on Uru, who laughed along with the others at their private joke as she and the three other females circled her mate, drawing closer and closer, before permitting Ahadi to slip away at the last minute.

The majority of the pride, thoroughly enjoying themselves, did not notice the absence of three of their youth.

* * *

Zira and Taka were sitting at the base of Pride Rock, watching the lengthening shadows of the sunset together and trying to ignore the commotion going on in the dens. Neither of them were in the mood for that sort of fun, to be honest. They were a little surprised when one of their other friends emerged from the cavern in Pride Rock, looking very upset. Zira, at least, registered her concern on her features; Taka kept his expression impassive.

"Sarafina?" Zira called, looking over at her as she descended Pride Rock's stone slope.

"Oh," replied the cream female in a wavering voice, touched through with a hint of surprise. She hadn't noticed either of them missing from the announcement and thought she'd be alone out here. "Hi, Zira. Hi... Taka. Some party, huh?" Her false enthusiasm didn't fool anyone.

"Sarafina, we heard the news all the way down here," Taka said. Zira, looking back and forth between the two others, quickly put two and two together.

"You liked Mufasa, didn't you?" she prompted. When Sarafina didn't answer immediately, Taka spoke for her.

"Yes," he said simply. Sarafina shot him a pained look.

"Taka, don't," said the young lioness. "Please, just don't. I don't want to go there right now."

"We don't have to talk about Mufasa if you don't want to," Zira said, eyebrows rising in concern. Sarafina shook her head.

"That isn't it. It's... between Taka and I," she explained. Zira looked around at Taka but he said nothing.

"It's okay, Sarafina. There will be," Zira reached around for the right word to use. "Others." Taka shifted, but remained silent.

"Why Sarabi?" the words came tumbling out, all covered in envy and spite. It sickened her how jealous she was of her best friend. Sarabi knew how she felt, she had to have! And she had told Mufasa before this, too. Why had his parents not chosen her? She honestly felt cheated.

"We're all rejects out here, aren't we?" Taka mused aloud.

"Taka," Zira hissed. Couldn't he see that Sarafina was suffering enough without his stupid comments?

"But it's true," pressed Taka. "An outsider, a prince the kingdom doesn't need, and one girl turned away for another. No offense to either of you."

"None... taken," Sarafina hiccuped. Zira rolled her eyes at Taka and then sat herself down on Sarafina's left.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she offered. The other female nodded.

"I really – really liked him. I thought he liked me, too. I mean, he seemed – he seemed happy when I told him. And I thought maybe his parents would see... I almost kissed him, and – and Queen Uru saw, so I thought... I thought maybe..."

Zira brought Sarafina into a tight hug, mirroring the support Sarafina had offered her yesterday. The light adolescent sniffed.

"I feel like... like running away, and never coming back," Sarafina said dejectedly.

"What would that solve?" Taka questioned rudely.

"Taka!" blurted Zira, fixing him with an upset look while Sarafina broke down into sobs, crying on Zira's shoulder. "What's wrong with you?"

"Ask her," the russet prince replied, nodding his head in Sarafina's direction. Sarafina just shook her head. She was sorry. She didn't mean for any of this morning to happen to Taka, but she didn't think she deserved to go through this, either.

"If you're not going to be supportive, why don't you just _go?_" Zira asked, scowling at the lion that only a day ago she had considered her friend. Without a word Taka stood and strolled off toward the watering hole, leaving Zira to stare after him in confusion. It was ironic, thought the prince, that Sarafina was now sharing in his life's experiences. Perhaps a little empathy on the part of the others was the perfect cure for his perceived situation.

"I can't believe him," Zira almost growled, watching Taka strut away into the darkening evening light. "Don't listen, okay? He's just in a... a funk, or something. I don't know."

Sarafina nodded. "I know. I just wish... I wish all our friendships hadn't been caught up in this. Taka hates me now, and I'm so jealous of Sarabi I don't think I could talk to her, and I'm so embarrassed I don't think I could talk to Mufasa, and you just went off on Taka for me, and..."

"Hey," said Zira, shaking Sarafina a bit. "Snap out of it. Under all that, they're still our friends."

Sarafina wiped her muzzle with the back of her paw. "I know, but it makes it really hard, you know what I mean? We can't go back to the way things were."

"No," Zira agreed, thinking of her mother, "we can't."

"Sorry," groaned Sarafina. "That was just plain insensitive."

"Forget it, it's in the past," Zira said after a pause. Sarafina laughed thickly.

"That's twice now you've up and forgiven me for something. I never said the first time, but I think that's a really great quality for a person to have. I admire you for that, Zira," Sarafina said.

"And you're always so optimistic and outgoing," Zira retorted. "Which is why I know you'll pull through this. Now come on – do you want to sit out here and mope, or do you want to at least watch what's going on up there?"

"I don't really want to..." Sarafina confessed.

"Me either, but I'll go if you'll go," the striped adolescent offered. Sarafina thought about it for awhile, then nodded slowly. Together the two friends ascended Pride Rock, making Taka the only reject in the Pridelands tonight.

* * *

Sarabi and Mufasa stood side by side, pointedly looking anywhere but at each other. This was so weird. So very, very weird. This was weirder than he and Taka both kind of having a thing for Sarafina. Poor Sarafina. Mufasa hoped she didn't feel too strongly for him or she was likely in distress. He looked for her amid the celebrating lions filling the Pridelander dens at first, but there was so much going on that he couldn't find her in all the busy activity.

"Mufasa?" Sarabi asked. Somehow talking to him had gotten harder on the other side of the betrothal announcement. The golden prince swallowed before answering.

"What is it, Sarabi?" Mufasa's world had been turned upside-down by tonight, too. He had often heard that royal heirs were betrothed at birth and had always wondered why this had not been the case with him. Now that it had actually happened, and he was expected to spend the rest of his life with Sarabi... it seemed a lifetime ago that she and Sarafina had him cornered in that hollow log. Part of him wished they could just go back to being friends, but part of him was excited by the prospect of the future.

"Do you wanna dance, too?" the darker young lioness asked. "It looks like fun..."

"I don't, uh," Mufasa stammered. How should he put this? "I don't know how to dance," he confessed awkwardly.

"Oh," Sarabi replied, a bit disappointed. She suddenly became aware that she had been standing this entire time and she dropped down on her haunches. As she did so her hind leg brushed against Mufasa's and she quickly sidled away. It was so weird. So, so weird. She had never before had any problem pouncing Mufasa or pinning Mufasa, or even prodding Mufasa with a paw to tease him, but now she felt awkward just sitting too close to him.

The act attracted Mufasa's attention, however, and he found himself staring at her. She and he were one day going to... _rule the kingdom together_, Mufasa asserted, shaking loose the other thoughts rattling around in his head. He had never felt so embarrassed as he had during today, when his mother explained all manner of awkward things to the pair of them. He could have done worse than Sarabi, he supposed. She had pretty eyes, at least. Pretty eyes. Listen to him!

"I don't know if you know, but, Sarafina and I both really like you," Sarabi said out of nowhere, dragging him out of his thoughts. Mufasa rolled his shoulders, trying to ease the tension in his muscles.

"I know," he said. "Sarafina told me. She kind of hoped that she and I could..."

"I hope she's not too upset," Sarabi said quietly. "I saw her earlier, and she looked really hurt."

"I could talk to her, if you want?" Mufasa offered.

"That's okay. She's my best friend. I should do it instead," Sarafina refused, shaking her head.

"You're probably right," Mufasa shrugged. "I'd probably make things worse."

"I don't think so," said Sarabi. "I think you're probably the best out of all of us at that sort of thing. I mean, look at Zira. You handled that really well, I watched."

"Thanks," Mufasa said, unsure what else to say. They quickly exchanged positions, Mufasa watching the celebrations, Sarabi examining the lion beside her. If only one of them could handle this as easily, she thought. If _only._

"Mufasa?" the darker adolescent lioness asked after a long pause.

"What, Sarabi?" Mufasa responded, turning his head so that their eyes met for the first time tonight.

"No matter what happens we're still friends, right?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah," agreed the golden prince, feeling himself ease up slightly. "Still friends."

And that was cause enough for Sarabi to celebrate.


	11. Lessons, Part I

Uru awoke the next morning in a bit of a daze, blinking in the bright sunlight. Her surroundings were not those of the den she was the most familiar with. Where was she? Last night... a dreamy smile crept across her muzzle as the memories solidified, falling into place like the stars in the sky. Last night had been wonderful. First the good news about Sarabi, then the singing, then the dancing, and then – the queen rolled over so that she was facing her lightly snoring mate – and then _Ahadi._ She reached out with a paw and smoothed his silky black mane out of his face, admiring his handsome features. He looked so vulnerable when he slept, she thought. It reminded her of him when he was only a cub.

And speaking of cubs... one of her forepaws slid down her trim figure and came to rest on her belly. She had not been in season last night but she would be again in a little while. What would Ahadi think about adding to their family? There had been something enjoyable about motherhood to Uru. She loved taking care of Mufasa and Taka when they were little, nursing them and giving them baths and rocking them to sleep. They were far too old for that now, but part of her would always remember her boys as the teeny tiny spotted cubs they had been born: one dark, one light.

The queen leaned forward and licked her mate softly across his muzzle. His eyes flitted open, blinking in the relative brightness of their makeshift sleeping quarters, a spot of soft grass beneath a tree a short distance east of Pride Rock.

"Good morning," Uru purred. Ahadi yawned lazily and Uru had to turn her head to block out the smell of his morning breath. "Ever so polite," she laughed, amber eyes twinkling with humor.

"I had a busy night," Ahadi replied tiredly.

"And so poor at thinking up excuses, too. Did I not have the same night as you?" Uru returned fire. Ahadi looked at her laughing eyes and then without warning launched his forelegs around her, pulling her body against his in a crushing hug as he rolled over and lifted her off the ground onto his stomach.

"_Ahadi!_" Uru protested in scandalized tones, wriggling against his grasp. He merely licked her cheek and laughed.

"Good morning, Uru," he purred, playfully nuzzling his struggling mate against her will.

"Put me down, you brute!" the queen laughed, trying and failing to push herself away.

"As Her Majesty commands," chuckled Ahadi, releasing Uru at last. She laid atop him for a short while, slightly out of breath, staring deep into her mate's eyes. Then Uru bent down and pressed her muzzle against his, initiating a slow, deep nuzzle. She savored the feel of his face against hers, the warmth of his fur, the affection that he returned to her so generously.

"It's too bad we can't snuggle like this all day long," she sighed.

"We could if we retired," Ahadi corrected, stroking her back.

"Ahadi," laughed Uru, laying her head in his mane. The King and Queen of Pride Rock silently relaxed in one another's company for a few more minutes, and then –

"Sarabi's lessons start today," Uru noted. "I should probably prepare something for her first challenge."

"I need to begin teaching Mufasa self-defense," Ahadi added. "He is swiftly reaching the age where he will need it."

But neither of them moved away from the other in spite of the excellent reasons both of them had to go and begin their days in earnest.

"A little while longer?" Uru suggested, nestling closer to her mate.

"A little while longer," Ahadi agreed, repositioning himself to be more comfortable on the grassy floor.

* * *

"Welcome, young lionesses, to your first official lesson in hunting!" beamed the golden-cream female called Safi. "Who's ready?" She looked around at her pupils eagerly, but all of them appeared anxious and three of them seemed out of sorts; not one of the girls wore an enthusiastic expression. Safi could guess why that might be, the nervous ones aside. Sarafina, she knew, was still upset over the events of last night; Sarabi, of course, was likely in a right state over everything she'd been told the other day; and Zira, sitting between them, had lost her mother a few days previously. Unfortunately, there was nothing Safi could do about any of their problems. She had a job to do.

"Don't act too excited," Safi huffed, broadening her stance in the lion equivalent of placing one's hands on their hips. She _was_ trying, after all, and it disappointed her that there wasn't much excitement in the group at the moment. "Very well. Any questions? No? Then let us begin."

"During these lessons, I am your instructor. I am not your babysitter," Safi's eyes flicked to Sarabi and then Zira, both of whom she had watched at one point or another, "or your mother," her gaze lingered on Sarafina, her own daughter. "I do not play favorites. I do not tolerate sass. But I will reward progress. Work hard, earn your place in the pride, and you will have my respect when the day you are recognized as an adult arrives."

"The lessons you are going to receive will be divided into three portions: physical training, conditioning of your bodies to ensure that you are able enough to successfully hunt; mental training, learning the techniques and gaining the experience that will mold you into capable hunters; and spiritual training, building an awareness and an understanding of the Circle of Life and respect for all living things."

"The last is the briefest, and yet the most important. It will be your first lesson, and its principles will be revisited regularly to ensure they are drilled into your heads. Now. I want you to pay attention." Safi cleared her throat, then began to recite. "We hunt to survive. We hunt only when we need to. We hunt only what we need to."

"Why do we hunt?" the golden-cream lioness asked suddenly.

"To survive," answered the young adolescent lionesses hesitantly. Safi nodded.

"When do we hunt?"

"Only when we need to," came the reply. Safi nodded again.

"What do we hunt?"

"Only what we need to," answered the adolescents in unison. Safi smiled.

"Good. Remember these three questions. You must ask them before every hunt you participate in. If your answers are inconsistent with the replies you have just given me, you ought to give up and return home. All the animals of the savannah have been placed here for a reason, and our purpose is to keep the animal population under control by killing and eating the sick, the injured, and the weak. However, gross misuse of our hunting ability would throw the Circle of Life out of balance and could be catastrophic to the fate of the Pridelands. It is important to use our ability to hunt carefully. Every life has value. _Every_ life."

Safi took a deep breath before continuing. "That includes your own," she said. "You're all very young, but you're not cubs any more, and these are not games we are preparing you to play. Hunting is a part of our way of life. It is a part of our culture. It is essential to the survival of the pride. And most of you know by now that it is easy, very easy, for things to go badly. Accidents happen, but if you are prepared, you can mitigate the risks involved – and believe me, every hunt has its risks. Take your lessons seriously. Your lives will depend on it."

Zira had raised a paw, not wishing to interrupt without permission.

"Yes, Zira?" Safi asked.

"Is that our only purpose? To kill?" she queried.

"Not entirely. Within the context of hunting, that is all you need know of our relationship with our prey. However... let me see if I can recall the way this lesson was taught to me..." Safi closed her eyes and thought back to the days of her own adolescence. Ah, there they were – the words she needed. "'Though we eat the animals, when we die, our bodies become the grass, and the animals eat the grass. And so, we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.' We eat them, and in a way, they eat us. Does that answer your question, Zira?"

Zira nodded.

"It's important to remember that although killing is a part of the hunt, we don't necessarily hunt to kill," Safi continued to explain. "Our purpose is not to end a life merely for the sake of ending a life, but to end a life for the sake of continuing our lives. Wanton slaughter is a crime against nature, as is unwarranted cruelty. We do not harm the young and the innocent unless we have no other choice, and we do not prolong the suffering of our prey under any circumstances. Complete the objective, make the kill, and return home. Why do we hunt?"

"To survive," replied the young lionesses together. Safi nodded proudly.

"Very well. That concludes our first lesson. Now, for the second lesson. There are many types of prey animals in the Pridelands, but we generally categorize them based on whether or not they have horns and whether or not they have hooves..."

Sarabi sighed. This was going to be a very, very, _very_ long day.

* * *

"Good morning, Mufasa," greeted Ahadi. After cuddling with his mate for about half an hour, the king had gone on patrol far later than he ordinarily would have and then returned to Pride Rock to find his son. The golden prince smiled and ran to meet his father, crashing into the lion's forelegs eagerly.

"Hey dad!" Mufasa chirped, looking up at the king happily. "You're late," he commented, half teasing, half pouting.

Ahadi chuckled. "I had some important business to attend to this morning and I had to defer my usual duties."

"More important than patrolling the borders?" Mufasa asked in wonderment, voice breaking.

"You'll understand someday," smiled Ahadi, ruffling Mufasa's growing mane with one of his large paws.

"So what are we doing today?" Mufasa asked, pushing Ahadi's paw off of his head. The prince was eager to spend more time with his father learning how to manage the kingdom, but from his apparent excitement it was obvious he was hoping for some kind of action. "Meeting with the herd leaders? Exploring the Pridelands? Chasing hyenas?"

"Easy, Mufasa," laughed Ahadi. If he had to choose the one thing about Mufasa that he liked the most, it had to be the teenager's indomitable spirit. Just yesterday he had had the surprise of his life sprung on him and already he had accepted it and moved on – at least on the outside. Betrothal was always a surprise, and though Ahadi had been very opposed to the idea in his youth... it hadn't worked out too badly for him in the end, he thought.

Mufasa sat down and scowled. "Not another _talk,_" he grumbled. Mufasa was tired of talking, not that he didn't enjoy spending the time alone with his father. It was simply that, after yesterday and the talks he'd had then, he felt like he needed to actually be doing something other than listening to the king's lectures. Or any lectures, for that matter.

"You're not tired of the sound of my voice, are you?" Ahadi said, acting as though he had been offended. Mufasa shrunk apologetically.

"Well, it is kind of boring to just talk," the golden prince mumbled.

"So I bore you. Is that it?" the king asked. Mufasa was about to sheepishly apologize when he saw the silent laughter shining in Ahadi's eyes, and then he took a playful swat at his father's foreleg instead.

"Dad! Don't tease me," said Mufasa. His voice cracked again and he rubbed his throat, a look of annoyance passing over his face.

"That won't last forever," Ahadi promised, remembering his own awkward transition into adulthood.

"Good," Mufasa declared resentfully. It was a bit embarrassing when it happened around others; Mufasa couldn't wait until his voice had finished maturing and he had a full-fledged roar of his own. "Now about today..."

There really was no swaying Mufasa, thought Ahadi as they walked. "Today your lessons will be changing some," the lion informed him. "You'll still have to listen to me talk from time to time, but there are many things I have to teach you that can't be taught through words alone."

"Part of your duties as king require you to protect your kingdom, Mufasa," King Ahadi explained. His oldest son was growing larger and stronger with each passing day and his lessons were about to take a turn for the physical. "You need to learn how to defend yourself and the lionesses of the pride. I will be teaching you how to fight against and run off potential threats. As we work together I want you to keep in mind that you must never look for pointless battles, but you should not run from necessary conflict, either. If you do not fight for your kingdom... then who will?"

Mufasa swallowed hard. This subject certainly seemed more exciting, but it also felt like a bit more than he had asked for.

"This would be easier for you if your brother wasn't such an uneven match," Ahadi finished, thinking of Taka's thin build and how he would not be able to learn alongside his older brother, "but I didn't have anyone my age to practice against either. I'll be teaching you the same way I was taught. Fight me, Mufasa."

Ahadi dropped into a ready stance.

"What, now?" Mufasa asked, voice cracking yet again – this time from panic. Ahadi nodded.

"There are some things in life that you cannot prepare for," the king stated. Then he began to circle.

* * *

An hour later and Safi had moved on to her third lesson, a lecture on the importance of one's physical care and well-being. Getting enough to eat, staying hydrated, and looking for symptoms of illness, as well as...

"I don't think I need to remind any of you of this, but cleanliness is important. If we can smell you, so can our prey! Bathe _often,_" their instructor stressed.

All of the girls shared awkward, embarrassed looks.

* * *

"Taka? Where are you off to?" Queen Uru smiled, looking up as her youngest child moved to leave the den. His other friends had already gone their separate ways, leaving only Taka and the younger cubs behind. She felt sorry that Taka could not join Mufasa for his training, but Ahadi had insisted that it would not go well if he did. Mufasa was built so differently that he would have a physical advantage over his smaller brother; Taka would always receive the majority of the bruises and scrapes, and in light of a discussion the king had had with his youngest son some days ago he was worried that this might widen any perceived divide between the two brothers.

Taka was already somewhat envious that Mufasa had a place in the Circle of Life and he did not. If Mufasa ended up hurting him on a regular basis, it would only exasperate matters.

"Oh... around," Taka answered, shrugging. He was not meant to return to the outskirts of the kingdom to find his new hyena _friends_ until tomorrow, so his reply was truthful. "I thought I'd go down to the watering hole and then maybe explore some of the inner kingdom."

"Don't stray too far, Taka," Uru warned. "The borders aren't safe, not even for a growing lion like you."

"Yes, mother," Taka agreed. He felt slightly guilty that he had already violated this most important of rules, and more guilty that he was going to do it again, but he kept the feelings inside him. Nobody but Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed seemed keen to recognize him as a leadership figure, and it was an experience he had enjoyed. "May I go now?"

"Be back before sunset. We love you, Taka," the russet female said gently. Uru nosed him lovingly, nudging him off in the direction of the watering hole. The queen very much hoped that Taka would grow into his awkward place as the younger brother of the future king with grace and poise, and she thought that Taka finding something to do on his own was a good thing. She always knew it would not be an easy path to walk, so it was good to see Taka stretching his wings, so to speak. Growing lion cubs needed some degree of independence in their life anyway, Uru had been told; they were not like the girls, who enjoyed socializing more.

Taka watched his mother return to the den through his bright green eyes. The younger prince felt disappointed that she didn't ask him to stay. Sad that she didn't show more interest in what he was doing. Angry that she didn't seem to care what he got up to so long as he was back by nightfall. But was it her fault for being a distracted and possibly disinterested parent, or _his_ fault for hiding how he was feeling from her? After all, no lioness, not even his observant mother, could read minds.

The prince caught a glimpse of Sarafina as he turned to descend Pride Rock. She was still pretty, in his opinion, and she was still kind, but she wasn't interested in him. She'd practically told him so. And after last night, he honestly couldn't blame her. She'd probably never talk to him again because of the way he'd treated her, but he hadn't been able to help himself. She should have been nicer to him about her rejection, more attentive to what he was trying to say. At least then he could have shown her sympathy instead of scorn when the tables were turned.

Or so he rationalized. It was easy to make excuses for the way he'd behaved, honestly, but Taka still knew that Zira had been right to chide him for the way he was making Sarafina feel and he knew he should probably apologize to her. One way or the other, though, Taka was through with girls for a good long while. Maybe after enough time passed he could try again. Or maybe he wouldn't feel the same way by then, and he'd have moved on to someone else.

Taka dipped his head to lap at the surface of the watering hole... and found himself unexpectedly shoved in from behind! Spluttering, Taka broke the surface of the water and hauled himself over the bank, his pelt and slight mane slicked back.

"What was _that_ for?" he demanded, head swiveling to see who had made him go for an impromptu swim.

"For fun," replied a thickly accented voice. Taka shook the excess water from his growing mane and glared at the strange newcomer.

"I didn't find it very fun," he spat.

"Ah, but it was fun for Rafiki," the mandrill grinned, spreading his arms. Taka, saying nothing, whirled to stalk off. To his annoyance the monkey fell into stride beside him. "You are very like your father the king," said Rafiki.

"I don't see the resemblance," Taka grumbled. His father Ahadi was big and powerful with a full mane. Taka was small and scrawny with barely any mane at all. Only their green eyes were similar as far as Taka could tell.

"Your dispositions are more alike than you know," Rafiki explained.

"Fantastic. Go away," replied Taka, voice heavy with sarcasm. Rafiki did not leave.

"Rafiki would like to talk to the young prince. He believes there is something he can do for him," said the mandrill. "Rafiki knows Taka is troubled. Tell Rafiki about your problems, and he will help."

"Why do you constantly refer to yourself in the third person?" Taka asked. Rafiki shrugged. The russet prince glared back at the hermit, thoroughly irritated. Why did he care so much about his problems? But then, Taka could use some good advice. Telling either of his parents hadn't been on his to-do list simply because of how awkward Taka predicted the conversations would be, but maybe he could talk to Rafiki about it. If it got Rafiki to leave... and on the remote chance that Rafiki really could help...

"It's about Sarafina," Taka confessed. It felt like he had to wrench the words from inside him he was so uncertain about speaking. Rafiki wrapped an arm around the wet adolescent.

"Tell Rafiki everything."


	12. Lessons, Part II

"Sarafina, your mother is going to _kill us,_" panted Zira as the group of seven sprinted across the Pridelands on one of the old unused game trails.

"Yeah," agreed another adolescent, a caramel-colored female with a soft tuft of fur atop her head named Nia.

"Less talking, more running!" commanded Safi, trailing them closely from behind. "If I hear another word I'll increase my pace, and you remember what happens if I catch you," their instructor threatened.

The adolescents all groaned miserably.

* * *

The Queen of Pride Rock was ready and waiting when Safi and the pride's young lionesses returned from the day's exercise, a bit of distance running to start them off down the path to successful hunters. All of the girls looked rather tired and most of them separated from the main pride to go lay down near the watering hole and relax. Sarabi, however, knew that she was expected to remain behind. Queen Uru had asked for her to stop by after the training for further instruction. She was not looking forward to it.

"How did your first hunting lessons go?" Uru prompted, ushering the adolescent that would one day be her successor into the cool darkness of the Pridelander dens.

"Safi talked forever, and then she chased us halfway across the kingdom," Sarabi answered dully. "My paws ache."

Uru nodded, suppressing a laugh at Sarabi's bitter description of the Pridelander teaching style. "It takes some getting used to, but it will grow easier."

"If my paws don't fall off, first," Sarabi retorted. "We have to do it again tomorrow, Your Majesty."

"Uru," she corrected. They would be family one day, so the formalities weren't necessary in the queen's opinion. "Safi covered hygiene, did she?" the queen asked with a knowing smile to somewhat lighten the mood. Sarabi flattened her ears and fell into a slump; Uru laughed lightly, flashing her a sympathetic grin. "I take it none of you bathed beforehand. Don't worry, I hear that's something of a pride tradition. I was the only adolescent in my generation to break it."

"Did she mention observation days, by any chance?" the russet female asked, again to get Sarabi's mind off of the strain of the running she'd just been doing. Sarabi shook her head.

"You'll like observation days," Queen Uru promised. "The learners get to watch the hunting party from afar as they hunt. Only, be certain that you do actually observe. If Safi is anything like our old teacher, Amri, she'll make you recreate diagrams of the hunt using stones to be sure you all know exactly how it was accomplished."

"Doesn't sound too bad," said Sarabi. "Still, I'm tired, Your– Uru. I don't want to do anything else, I just want to take a nap."

Uru stroked Sarabi gently with a paw. "My lessons for you aren't too taxing," the queen explained. "I know it's a hard change to get used to, having to work as hard as you were worked today, but this is very important. I think you can do it. What do you think, Sarabi?"

Sarabi thought for a minute. "I think I can try," she answered. Uru gave her a little squeeze.

"That's all I ask, Sarabi. I know you're sick of it, but I do have some more instruction for you." Uru stepped away from Sarabi and took a seated position across from her. "As queen, I have many responsibilities. I am the leader of the hunting party, though I am happy to defer to Safi in those matters since she is more experienced than I. I am also the seat of power in the Pridelands: no royal decree holds any authority unless it comes from me directly."

"I am also a mother, and finally, a teacher," she smiled kindly at Sarabi. "Your roles will be slightly different than mine. As you will be marrying into the royal family, you will inherit Ahadi's duties as pride representative while Mufasa instead embodies our pride's sovereignty. If ever a situation calls for Pridelander presence in a foreign kingdom without requiring Mufasa himself, you will be obligated to represent our pride in those matters."

Sarabi groaned just _thinking_ about all the work and education she would be forced to endure to prepare her for that.

"I know it's difficult, Sarabi, but Ahadi and I have watched you for a long time, and we believe that you can do it. That is why we chose you for our son. Mufasa needs your strength," Uru encouraged her. "You won't have to rule the pride for a long, long time, Sarabi. When the sun sets on my reign and rises on yours, you will be ready."

"I hope so," mumbled Sarabi.

"I know so," Uru insisted. "Are you ready to begin?"

Sarabi nodded.

"When I was your age, my father Mohatu taught this to me in my mother Asali's place. I am going to pass it down to you now. Please try to take it to heart." Uru looked Sarabi directly in her eyes. "A queen must be kind. When she cannot be kind, a queen must be wise. When she cannot be wise, a queen must be just." Uru smiled. "But it is best to be kind, wise, _and_ just."

Sarabi nodded again.

"Every day you will meet with me here, and I will present a challenge for you. They are thinking exercises that will prepare you to rule the kingdom one day. That doesn't sound too difficult, does it?"

"No," Sarabi replied. But then, she wasn't sure what a challenge involved. Would it be a lot more difficult than Queen Uru was letting on? "Not really."

"And afterward, if you like, we can just talk. One on one, no interruptions. I know you have a mother and you love her very much, but I want to make myself available for you whenever you need me. If you don't mind sharing me with Taka, Mufasa, and Zira too, of course," Uru laughed.

"Yeah," Sarabi said. If she ever had questions about being a queen... or possibly about Mufasa... "Maybe."

"Good, good. Now, your first challenge is this: you are the queen. One day, a rogue lion approaches, asking leave to join the pride. He seems sincere in his desire to stay within your kingdom and become one of your subjects. How do you proceed?"

Sarabi blinked up at Uru in confusion. Evidently she was not expecting to be thrust into the role of a leader, even an imagined role, this abruptly. Uru smiled down at her. "Take all the time you need, Queen Sarabi."

"What happens if I get it wrong?"

"There are no right or wrong answers here, Sarabi. There is only _your_ answer."

"Then... I guess I let him in," Sarabi concluded, brow furrowed in thought. She looked up at Uru questioningly, so confused that the queen really couldn't keep herself from laughing.

"Oh, Sarabi," she chuckled, reaching out and placing one of her paws atop the young lioness's, "we're too alike. This was my father's first challenge for me, and I answered it in exactly the same way. Can you tell me why you let the rogue join your pride?"

"Because he was homeless, and he seemed nice," Sarabi explained.

"Yes," Uru agreed. "That is true. But I would like to draw your attention to two things. The first is this: you acted alone. Why?"

"Well... you said I was queen, so –"

"But even as queen, you will have Mufasa to help you make decisions," Uru pointed out. A look of dawning comprehension came over Sarabi. "Never be afraid to ask your future mate for help, advice, or support. Mufasa will have been taught the same about you. You must learn to depend on one another if you are to rule successfully."

"What's the other thing?" Sarabi asked. She felt kind of dumb for forgetting Mufasa and wanted to sweep her misjudgment under the metaphorical rug.

"You judged the lion based solely on appearances. He _seemed_ nice, you said, but all you had to go on was his word. Words, you will find, are not the best indicator of motives. This is the first rule of politics, Sarabi: words mean little. You will hear more lies and half-truths as a queen than you can possibly imagine. You must learn to look deeper than the surface."

Sarabi bent her head, feeling a little embarrassed that she hadn't thought of that, either. Uru lifted her by the chin. "Don't worry, Sarabi. Everyone makes mistakes. Even me, even now. Learning to live with them is a life skill, one as important as learning how to hunt."

"And now, you're free to go. Please reflect on today's challenge overnight," the russet lioness finished abruptly.

Sarabi blinked in surprise. "That's it?"

"That's it," Uru affirmed with a regal nod. "Unless... Did you have any questions for me? Anything at all, Sarabi. I want to help you in any way I can."

Sarabi did have one question, actually, one she had been worrying about ever since last night. Mufasa promised they would always stay friends no matter what happened, but Sarabi wanted them to be more than that. She liked Mufasa a lot but he didn't seem that interested in her in return. Sarabi didn't know if he just hadn't taken an interest in her yet, or worse, if he liked somebody else.

"I like Mufasa," Sarabi admitted. _Oh, telling his mom about it feels _so_ weird..._ "But I don't think he likes me back, not in the same way. What should I do, Uru?"

"Boys can be stubborn," Uru said, speaking with all the experience of a grown lioness with a mate and two boys of her own. "They're afraid of things like feelings. It may be awhile before Mufasa acknowledges anything like that for you, but a good first step to building your relationship would be to be honest. Tell him you like him."

"Just... tell him?" Sarabi repeated. Uru nodded. "Tell him," Sarabi repeated a second time, almost as though she was uncertain something so simple would really work.

"One of you has got to tell the other eventually," the queen laughed. "If neither of you are willing to take that risk, you might both be waiting for a very long time. Have you told him how you feel?"

Sarabi had in a way when she told Mufasa that both she and Sarafina liked him last night, but she hadn't talked about her feelings with Mufasa directly, so she shook her head in the negative.

"I have an idea, then," said Uru. Sarabi peered up at her curiously. "Why don't you think about what you want to say for now, and then share it with him on your first outing?"

* * *

"... and I don't know why, but it felt good to see Sarafina upset like that," Taka was saying. "Like she suddenly understood what she'd just done to me. I wanted her to know how embarrassed and hurt I was when she just ignored me and – well, she did."

Taka's story tapered off into silence. After a minute of waiting to see if the russet prince would add anything, Rafiki nodded.

"We cannot help where our hearts lead us," Rafiki informed Taka. "And sometimes, our heads are no better. What young Sarafina put you through yesterday was not deliberate, Prince Taka, but Rafiki cannot say the same about what you did to her. Do you see?"

"It's not her fault she... preferred Mufasa to me," Taka said. It rankled to say it out loud, but he still said it. Rafiki made a gesture with one of his hands, as if beckoning for the rest. Taka rolled his eyes. "And even though I felt hurt, she didn't mean to make me feel that way. I taunted her on purpose, and it was wrong of me. There. Are you happy?"

"Rafiki thinks the question is, are _you_ happy?" the mandrill returned, placing one of his long fingers against Taka's nose. "Are you happy losing a good friend over a misunderstanding? Are you happy leaving this where it is? Why not tell her that you're sorry?"

"Even if I apologize, she won't want to speak with me again. And she certainly won't come to consider me the way I want her to," said Taka.

"Ah, it is a rare gift to foresee the future in such detail. Rafiki has many questions for you," quipped the monkey shaman. Taka narrowed his eyes.

"You're just full of laughs, aren't you?"

"It is the best medicine," explained Rafiki.

"So you think I should apologize?" Taka asked, choosing to ignore the mandrill's continued attempts at making jokes. Inside he knew he should go to Sarafina and explain himself, but some part of him – the prideful part, he suspected – didn't want to tell her he was sorry even though he knew he was in the wrong.

"What can it hurt? She will either continue to ignore you, or you will repair your friendship."

Taka couldn't argue with that logic. "Fine. I'll do it, but later. She's out learning how to hunt, anyway. And... Thanks. I guess," said Taka finally.

"It is nothing. Rafiki is happy to help," bowed the monkey. Rafiki turned to leave, leaning on his walking staff as ever. "One more thing, Prince Taka," Rafiki called after he had taken a few steps away from the watering hole. He gave Taka a very meaningful look over his shoulder. "Don't disobey your mother tomorrow."

Taka felt as though his stomach had dropped several feet. "I'm sorry?" the young lion said.

"Tomorrow. Stay out of trouble, Prince Taka," warned the shaman cryptically.

"I don't know what you're talking about," lied the russet prince. Tomorrow he had been planning to return to the pride's borders and find his new hyena subordinates purely for the fun of bossing them around for a bit. But nobody knew he had wandered out there in the first place. How could Rafiki possibly suspect where he was going to go? With a final appraising glance at Taka Rafiki departed, leaving the younger prince alone beside the watering hole with his thoughts.

* * *

Mufasa panted, muscles tensed. The golden prince leapt to one side to avoid the massive bulk of his father as Ahadi leapt toward him, heavy paws touching down on the dusty ground with a surprisingly light step. The king bore no outward sign of aggression, but he was forcing Mufasa further and further away from their starting point with each step forward that he took. He was afraid, legitimately afraid. Sure, the adolescent had wrestled with his father before, but that had been playing. This was something else!

"Fear is a natural reaction, Mufasa, but it will be your downfall. Accept that you are afraid, and then persist in the face of that fear," Ahadi counseled, speaking for the first time since their little sparring match had begun. "I have not yet hurt you, nor do I plan to. Do not fear me. Fight me."

Ahadi's muscles tensed suddenly and he pounced again. Again Mufasa sprang to the side, but in light of his father's urging he darted back into the fray. If it was a fight his old man wanted, then Mufasa would be happy to provide!

Mufasa drove his teeth deep into his father's foreleg just below the base of the shoulder, earning a low grunt of pain from the older lion as he tore away from the golden prince's grasp. Ahadi took a retaliatory swipe at Mufasa, claws withdrawn, but his aim was off and his large paw knocked his son around the side of his head instead of his shoulder. Mufasa's legs instantly went wobbly and his vision swam from the force of the impact but he corrected his balance and stood his ground, lips drawing back in an instinctual snarl.

Ahadi immediately stood a little straighter and less imposingly, backing away from Mufasa to show that he meant no further harm.

"Are you all right?" the lion asked, concern appearing on his muzzle. "That was an accident. You moved forward instead of back as you had been doing for the entire fight, and I was not ready for the change. Let me have a look."

Ignoring the frenzied thumping of his heart and the surge of adrenaline that was powering his system, Mufasa pulled himself together enough to nod, wincing at the sudden movement of his head. Ahadi's shadow enveloped him and he felt his father's rough paw pad gently but firmly turning his head to the side to get a better look.

"You'll have a nasty bump there, I'm afraid. This lesson is over; we're done for today. With an injury like that you'll be a little dizzy for awhile and will need to rest. I'm sorry, Mufasa. Perhaps Rafiki can take a look at it when we return to Pride Rock – if he's still around," said Ahadi.

Mufasa rubbed the painful spot gingerly. "That's okay, dad," he accepted his father's apology. "But couldn't you have given me a less painful first lesson?"

Ahadi chuckled a little. "And what do you call this?" he gestured to the small puncture wounds on his left foreleg where Mufasa had bit him.

"Sorry," grinned Mufasa.

"You know, you're not that bad for a beginner," Ahadi said thoughtfully, examining the slight injury with an appraising look. "No form whatsoever, but you respond well to pain and that's something that most lions have to learn the hard way."

"The hard way?" Mufasa asked curiously.

"More pain," said Ahadi simply, dropping his leg back to a resting position. "There is a deep-seated instinctual fear of enduring physical trauma or discomfort, even, that is difficult to overcome without practice. It is why we sometimes flinch before even being struck. But when I hit your head you didn't fall down or back away, you stood up and snarled at me. Tell me, Mufasa, what do you think the most effective battle tactic is?"

"Uh... winning?" Mufasa joked. Ahadi, grinning, shook his head.

"It's intimidation, Mufasa. If we had been real lions out for blood, I could have simply run you off. You kept retreating. You were afraid of me. If you can make your opponent fear you, then you never have to actually fight them, and that means you won't have to risk your own safety," explained the king. "However, intimidation has its uses within battle, as well. I promise you if that blow to your head had happened in a real fight and you had reacted in the way you did, as your opponent I would be seriously rethinking my strategy. After all, you just took the best I had to offer by way of blunt force and stood back up."

This was not, strictly speaking, true; Ahadi could have hit Mufasa much harder, but he had not been keen on hurting his son any more than was necessary to give him a taste of actual fighting. The thought seemed to cheer Mufasa up, though, as the young male was beaming proudly.

"So now what?"

"If you've had enough of talking, I suppose I can give you the rest of the day to yourself," Ahadi replied. He had to speak louder to talk over Mufasa's sudden outburst of cheering. "Just be careful. You wouldn't want to hit your head again!"

"I didn't hit it the first time!" protested Mufasa.

"Could have fooled me. My paw's all bruised, see?" Ahadi held it out to show him. Mufasa just laughed.

* * *

The sun had just begun to set on the Pridelands and all of the Pridelanders were finding a comfortable spot in the dens to retire for the night.

"_Just tell him,_" Sarabi thought, watching from afar a smiling Mufasa tell the queen about his day.

"_Just tell her,_" thought Taka, green eyes fixed on Sarafina as she groomed herself beside her mother.

But as the night wore on and sleep descended on the pride, neither of them moved.


	13. Another Day

The russet prince, Taka, had come to the outlying territory of the Pridelands in direct defiance of the wishes of his parents in spite of a reminder to heed their rules from a very eccentric mandrill shaman. The girls were all attending their hunting lessons, leaving Taka and Mufasa alone at Pride Rock. Taka, however, had made plans for the day and so after parting ways with his brother for the morning and early afternoon he had wandered out in the same general direction he had traveled two days prior, searching for the place where he had made his rather interesting new acquaintances.

The heat had finally returned in full force after the brief cool spell ushered in by the storm and Taka found himself keeping to the shadows of trees and other tall landmarks as often as he possibly could. It helped keep him out of sight too which, given what he was up to, was probably a good thing. When the sound of raised voices caught his attention Taka moved in their direction, finally arriving at his destination. He poked his head through the tall grasses surrounding the same clearing he had stumbled across before; the sight that awaited him there was almost too typical, he thought.

Two hyena pups thrashed around in the dust near the base of a stunted Acacia tree, jaws angrily snapping at one another. The pair were watched interestedly by a third hyena, though his eyes pointed in different directions and his tongue lolled lazily out of his laughing maw. They had carried on like this for the better part of the morning, occasionally pulling the third member of their troupe into the fighting, while they waited for their mysterious and forceful new friend to appear. Taka silently observed their behavior with what he hoped would appear to be elegant disdain.

"Having fun?" Taka asked drily, finally interrupting their play session.

The two hyenas, Shenzi and Banzai, separated at once, pointed to one another, and proclaimed that the other started it in unison. Ed, meanwhile, had returned to the cowering position he had assumed when he and Taka first met. Taka rolled his eyes. These hyenas really were every bit the simple-minded creatures he had always heard they were.

"And no," insisted Banzai, pulling his leg away from his opponent. "This hurts, but Shenzi won't cut it out."

"Hey Banzai, does your face hurt too?" the female asked, acting as though she were genuinely concerned.

"No, why?" asked Banzai, confused by the abrupt change in her disposition.

Shenzi swiped at his muzzle, claws raking across his nose. "'cause it's killing me!"

While Banzai howled in pain Ed began laughing like a lunatic again; Taka had to fight to resist the urge to roll his eyes a second time.

"You three need a new hobby," he said, taking a seated position across from them.

"Well, what do you do for fun? Besides pick on strangers," Shenzi amended, giving the lion's paws a look of wariness. She did not want to be on the receiving end of Taka's wrath a second time – even though she knew he was probably not the greatest fighter of his generation, what with his trim build and lanky frame.

"Ordinarily I'd play with friends of mine, but except for my brother they're busy – which is why I came all the way out here," explained Taka, idly examining the pads on one of his paws. He had seen Shenzi watching them apprehensively and decided to play her unease to his advantage.

"We're honored," muttered Shenzi, shifting uncomfortably.

"Unless you'd rather stay here and tussle as you do all day long, we could take a stroll around the Pridelands for a change," suggested Prince Taka. The adolescent had a sly look on his face; if he was far enough inside the borders, then was he technically breaking any rules? Plus, he wanted to see exactly how far he could push his hyena friends.

"Uh, are you crazy? There are _lions_ in there," Shenzi said, donning an air of condescension almost as though she had been explaining that water was wet or the sun was hot. Taka did not appreciate her tone, but he kept his displeasure contained.

"The hunting party is on the opposite side of the valley today," Taka informed them, "and my father rarely patrols this far from Pride Rock this late in the day. But... I can see you're clearly too afraid to venture beyond your comfort zone."

"What part of that, exactly, did you miss?" retorted the female. Taka shrugged.

"It's too bad. There's probably a bit of food to be found further into the kingdom," he said. That seemed to settle the issue immediately.

"When are we goin', huh?" demanded Banzai as though he had been looking forward to this little adventure all day long. Ed was quick to join in, already drooling at the thought of a midmorning snack. Sighing in exasperation, Shenzi joined the other two.

"All right, all right. But if I catch one whiff of lion, just one, we're outta here," she announced.

Taka grinned widely. "I knew I could talk you into it."

"We better not get in trouble for this," hissed Shenzi to Banzai, who shrugged.

"Hey, if we get some grub outta the deal, who cares?"

Shenzi swiped one of his paws out from under him, leaving Banzai to collapse in an unbalanced heap.

"Whenever you're ready," interrupted Taka, tail waving in anticipation.

The four departed for the outer kingdom soon after, again keeping to the shadows and tall grass as much as possible to avoid attracting any attention, though Taka seriously doubted they would be noticed. Four young and small animals out on the fringes of a pride territory while the king was busy and the majority of the adults were working should have no trouble at all maintaining a low profile.

"So this is gonna be your kingdom one day, huh?" Banzai asked, looking around at the gentle slope of the valley leading down to the distant Pride Rock in the center of the kingdom. Taka's lips drew into a tight line.

"No," said he.

"But I thought you said you were the prince?" the hyena returned, peering up at Taka curiously.

"A prince. _The_ prince would be my older brother, Mufasa."

"And we thought you were somebody important," Shenzi said, accidentally striking one of Taka's nerves.

"I can still change my mind and chase all three of you out of the Pridelands," the russet male growled sharply, unsheathing his claws. Shenzi looked utterly taken aback by his abrupt hostility.

"Alright, jeez, sorry boss," she apologized, bowing her head. She in no way wanted a repeat of their first meeting. Lions, especially the male lions, made her antsy. It was an instinctual fear.

"Hey, guys," Banzai hissed. Shenzi, interest piqued, turned from her brief disagreement with Taka to see what the other hyena wanted; Taka merely continued to glare at them both. "Look!"

Through the underbrush an African hornbill – a bright blue bird with a long, curved, yellow-orange beak – could be seen hopping here and there around the ground on its splayed feet. It appeared to be having a very animated conversation with someone who was not present, gesticulating wildly with its wings while it spoke to the empty air. They could not catch any of the words it was saying from this distance but there was no mistaking the impassioned feelings behind its little speech.

"Let's catch it," said Banzai.

"Let's _eat_ it," Shenzi corrected, joined in her enthusiasm by a chuckling Ed.

"Are you really going to hunt that?" Taka asked, raising an eyebrow. From what he had seen none of the three were exceptionally stealthy, and since their quarry had wings he could not imagine them succeeding. There was also that thing about hyenas being little more than scavengers.

"We're more than just scavengers. Hyenas have very... good hunting skills," Banzai said, as though reading Taka's mind. "How come everybody thinks we're good-for-nothing poachers?"

"Anti-hyena propaganda," muttered Shenzi in a barely audible voice. The fact that Banzai didn't seem to know the difference between scavenging and poaching, and the irony that they were all technically about to poach when they had just insisted they weren't poachers, was not lost on Taka.

"Oh, this I'd love to see," smiled Taka, setting aside the bitter resentment that had bubbled to the surface momentarily in light of what he felt sure would be an entertaining spectacle. "I'll just let you all handle it on your own since I'm _not important_ enough, shall I?"

"Yeah, whatever," Shenzi retorted. "But we're not gonna share our snack."

"I'm not hungry. Take your time, though, I could use a laugh," Taka said.

"We'll see who's laughing," grumbled Shenzi, her voice hidden by an outburst of Ed's crazed laughter.

* * *

Mufasa sighed.

Now that most of his friends were busy learning how to hunt, the days when his father couldn't take him aside to show him something about managing the kingdom or just spend a few hours with him were going to be very dull indeed. It would certainly have helped if Taka had not disappeared. Mufasa would have been glad to hang out with his younger brother – just the two of them, relaxing around the watering hole or exploring the Pridelands together – but the younger prince was nowhere to be found.

As it was, the heir to the throne had spent the initial part of his day trying to spy on the girls' hunting lessons only to be noticed almost immediately by their expert teacher, Safi. After a light scolding from Sarafina's mother (and much giggling on the part of the pride's young lioness population) he had been sent away, told not to return as his presence would interfere with the adolescents' focus.

With his father busy, his friends occupied, and his brother missing, what was he to do? Laying in the sun alone got boring rather quickly, and he didn't feel as though he had enough in common with the handful of lionesses not assigned to the day's hunting party rotation to hang out with them. Besides, some of them were watching the pride's younger cubs and Mufasa didn't want to get roped into playing with them if he could help it. They all looked up to him in ways that made him feel a little uncomfortable with his status as something of a pride celebrity.

Even if he had felt like helping the babysitters at least he wouldn't have had to be there with Sarabi, he thought. Some of the little ones had taken to _ooooh_-ing suggestively whenever he tried to talk to his friend – his betrothed – as though he was about to confess his undying love for her on the spot. It was aggravating. Had his parents actually followed pride tradition and betrothed him at birth he would never have had to endure that kind of behavior from anyone. Yesterday afternoon and evening had been full of awkward moments like that, and things between him and Sarabi were _already_ a little awkward at the moment.

After a lengthy period of time spent wandering to and fro in the area surrounding Pride Rock and the nearby watering hole Mufasa finally decided to strike out and explore part of the kingdom he had never visited before, just to find something to do. The typical savannah heat had returned, he noticed, and he was grateful that he was not one of the girls out training today as simply walking through the Pridelands was proving to be an uncomfortable venture.

The golden prince made careful note of the route he was taking so he could backtrack quickly if he ran into a situation out here he couldn't handle. His father King Ahadi had often warned him not to stray through this part of the territory alone so he was being cautious, just in case. It was technically against the rules for him to be here but he was just _so bored._ Besides, reasoned Mufasa, if he was old enough to start learning how to fight then he was old enough to be able to explore some of the outlying portions of his future kingdom. He wasn't looking for trouble; he was merely... looking.

And what he found after a decent amount of idle travel was rather interesting.

* * *

"– and as I was saying, it merely seemed to me as though, perhaps, the truth was not being fully disclosed in this instance; which is to say, she was lying, completely and utterly. I don't mean that she was stating a simple half-truth, or regurgitating a white lie – a statement of omission, you know – but that she did knowingly and willingly assert something so preposterously and blatantly false that to claim I could remove my beak and use the two halves for skis would seem believable by comparison. I can't, for the record; my beak is really rather attached to my face."

"Wanna test that theory?" snapped a voice, interrupting the very one-sided conversation.

The hornbill jumped in fright, startled by the sudden appearance of not one but two hyenas looming over him. Both of them wore triumphant smirks; one of them licked its chops in anticipation. Sneaking up on the poor creature had been much easier than they had anticipated, mostly because the hornbill had been so occupied with talking that it hadn't heard or seen them approaching.

"Mother," squeaked the bird, backing away. It stopped, shuddering, when it felt something disgustingly sticky pressing against it. Ed seemed to like the way the hornbill tasted, though, because he gave a gleeful nod of satisfaction and pawed it back toward the middle of the trio.

"Not a lot of eating on this one," commented Banzai, picking it up by one of its wings.

"Who cares? Maybe there's more of 'em around here," shrugged Shenzi.

"P-p-put me d-down at once," demanded the hornbill in a wavering voice.

"Well, yeah. We're trying to decide which of us gets to put what part of you down our gullets first, stupid," laughed Banzai, dropping the bird onto its back.

"Dibs on the drumsticks," grinned Shenzi.

"Somebody, help!" cried the poor bird as it was pinned down by an assortment of paws, each with a hungry mouth not far away.

"Look around you! Nobody's gonna help you, banana beak," laughed the female hyena. "There's nobody out here but us!"

"I wouldn't count on that," interrupted Mufasa. All four heads turned to regard the newcomer with surprise, first snapping in his direction and then slowly lifting upwards. He was taller than Taka was, and his posture was anything but welcoming.

"Uh, I think I hear somebody calling us," lied Banzai, noting just how much larger the newcomer was compared to the other adolescent lion they knew. If _Taka_ could send them packing, then this guy was definitely way too much.

"Toodles!" piped in Shenzi, fleeing the scene with Banzai and a cowering Ed loping along in her wake. Perhaps there was something to that intimidation thing, thought Mufasa as he watched them flee with a certain degree of satisfaction.

"Oh, not again," wailed the bird in despair, watching as Mufasa approached him. He laid trembling on the ground where the trio of hyenas had had him pinned down, gazing up at the rather imposing figure before him. Out of the frying pan, the old saying went.

"Are you all right?" Mufasa asked.

"Please don't, I taste absolutely d-dreadful," replied the bird, evidently too out of sorts to listen properly. He was cringing away from Mufasa, eyes shut tight to block out the sight of his own grisly demise.

"What? No, I'm not going to eat you," said the golden prince with a laugh.

"Think of the children! Not that I have any, mind you, not at my age, but all the same – wait," the bird interrupted himself, prying one eye open to look up at the lion he thought was going to end him. "Did you say you were _not_ going to eat me?"

Mufasa nodded. "I'm not that hard up for food," he joked. Before he could so much as blink the hornbill was wrapped around the base of one of his forelegs, clinging to him tightly.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you for your timely intervention on my behalf! Thank you, uhm..." the bird drew away briefly. "I don't believe I know your name."

"Mufasa," the teenager introduced himself.

"_Mufasa?_" repeated the bird, eyes wide with shock and surprise. He took several steps backward and performed a very flowery, very deferential bow. "Your Majesty! Forgive me, until now I have only heard of you."

"Could you not do that or the hugging thing? You're weirding me out," Mufasa told him.

"But of course, Your Majesty," the bird replied, drawing himself back to his full height, completely dwarfed by the large shape of Mufasa sitting a foot or so away. "I shall be forever in your debt, Prince Mufasa. I do not know if I will ever be able to repay you for saving my life."

"Really, it's no trouble," answered the gold-pelted adolescent. "But uh... you could start with giving me your name, I guess."

"Zazu, sire," answered the bird at once. He ruffled his feathers proudly. "Born in the Pridelands. Three months out of the nest."

"Pleased to meet you, Zazu," Mufasa said politely. Zazu spoke quickly and – there was no other way to say it – he spoke _a lot._

"Oh no, sire," Zazu shook his head. "The pleasure is all mine! Imagine the look on my mother's face when she hears the royal heir himself saved my life today. Why, she'll be positively surprised! And your own parents would be proud as well, I am certain. I would be happy to inform them of your courageous actions, Prince Mufasa!"

Mufasa's face fell into a slightly anxious expression. "No, that's fine."

"A humble hero!" beamed Zazu. Mufasa shook his head.

"I'm technically not supposed to be out this far on my own," he admitted. Zazu immediately gave him a stern look.

"Out breaking the rules, are we?" Mufasa blinked. It was weird being scolded by a complete stranger, especially one he had just helped. "Not to worry, Your Majesty. You're technically not out here all alone," Zazu intoned with a sly grin. Mufasa, smiling, immediately understood what the hornbill was getting at.

"Still, though," he began. "I'd rather not risk getting into trouble if it's all the same with you."

"I suppose we can be vague about exactly how far from home you were," commented the hornbill, fluttering up onto Mufasa's shoulder as the teenaged lion turned to head back toward Pride Rock. "Now, about your royal parents. What are they like? I've seen your father King Ahadi patrolling before – who hasn't? The lion is _enormous_ – but I can't say I've ever seen the queen, and in any case I've certainly never met either of them. I would like, I think, to learn a little about them before I meet them, if you'd be willing, and..."

* * *

Taka had watched the unfolding events from a distance through the tall grass, mixed emotions roiling within him. The sight of his brother scaring the hyenas without even having to try did nothing for his ego, but more than that, Mufasa had disrupted his plans for the day – namely, to boss around his hyena subordinates for awhile. Furthermore he had stolen his original scheme to run the hyenas off to impress their father, and not only had he managed to do that, but he had saved some bird in the process! His emerald eyes scrutinized them intensely as they sauntered homeward, discussing who-knew-what in low voices.

This was great. Wonderful. Simply _peachy._

Taka was already tired of feeling as though he were constantly being compared to his slightly older brother. He was tired of feeling like Mufasa got all of the attention. Even the hyenas had assumed Taka was less important when they learned that he was the younger brother! Now Mufasa would be seen as a hero, assuming his parents didn't punish him for breaking their rules (and why should they?). Did the pride ever grow tired of lavishing Mufasa with their praise? They practically _worshiped_ him.

But at least Mufasa's interference today had given Taka an idea for an interesting approach to persuading Sarafina to forgive him – and possibly, to return his feelings for her.

Taking great care not to be spotted, Taka followed his older brother and the bird whose life he'd saved from a distance. He would tell the others that he had simply wandered away from his usual haunts and settled down for a nap in some shade – a believable enough lie, in his opinion. Pretending that he was happy to hear about Mufasa's courageous act would be a little trickier.

* * *

"Zira? Do you mind waiting here for a little bit? I'd like to talk with you," Sarabi asked. The princess consort had pulled Zira aside after the young lionesses were dismissed from their hunting lesson for the day, intent on getting the striped teenager's opinion on some of her personal problems. A bit of perspective from one of her peers might just make what she had to do a little easier. At the very least, it would help validate Sarabi's approach to the situation, which she was worried about.

"Can't you come find me at the watering hole?" Zira asked irritably. She was tired from the day's hunting and just wanted to relax with the others.

"Please. It's important," reiterated Sarabi. "I won't be long, I promise."

"Fine," Zira huffed. She flopped down gracelessly onto the smooth stone near the base of Pride Rock. "Wake me up if I doze off."

"Thank you, Zira," Sarabi smiled. Then she ascended Pride Rock where Queen Uru was already waiting with her next challenge. Zira sat for what felt like hours, though it really only amounted to about half an hour, before Sarabi and Uru descended Pride Rock together. The queen asked about her day and nuzzled Zira affectionately before leaving the pair of them on their own.

"So what did you want?" Zira queried, glancing over at Sarabi. Her red eyes looked a little dull after the long, trying day they had shared. The heat had been far too intense for any of the learners' liking.

"I was hoping you could help me with a problem. A friendship problem," explained Sarabi.

"You and Sarafina haven't been speaking much lately," Zira commented. Sarabi nodded; the other adolescent had guessed her predicament, then.

"She had a big crush on Mufasa, so when I was betrothed to him instead of her, I think it kind of... hurt her," Sarabi said. Zira snorted.

"You don't need to tell me that. She was practically bragging about how close she came to kissing him a few days ago."

"That isn't making me feel any better, Zira," Sarabi replied. On the contrary, it was almost enough to evoke feelings of envy in the bulky young lioness. For better or for worse Mufasa was her future mate now and she had had a crush on him for just as long or longer than Sarafina had. Worse than that, Sarafina knew Sarabi liked him, too. She'd told her. What right did she have to feel as though she should have been the one to end up betrothed to Mufasa?

"Then you've both got a problem," Zira shrugged. "There will be other lions – Sarafina needs to get over him already. But you need to stop caring so much about who almost kissed him and when. Stop letting Mufasa come between you and you can go back to the way you were. Then you can quit bothering me with your sappy romantic drama and I can unwind by the watering hole."

Zira's brusqueness was a thing she liked, Sarabi decided. It was easy to get a straightforward and to-the-point answer out of her, and there was a levelheadedness behind her words that made her advice feel genuine even if it came with a bit of a bite to it.

"I guess you're right," Sarabi thought aloud. "There's not much point worrying about what almost happened, is there?"

"No," confirmed Zira. "It's only the stuff that _did_ happen that you need to think about."

She turned away suddenly, growing silent.

"Zira?" Sarabi asked quietly. The striped adolescent had a lot of moments like these where she kind of withdrew, pulling herself out of the present and retreating into her thoughts, and the dark tan female thought she knew why. "How are you doing, Zira? If you need to talk, I'm here for you. You were here for me, you know."

Zira hesitated, and then – "I miss my mother," she confessed. "Uru is really nice to me, but it's not the same, and... I keep dreaming about her. It makes it really hard when you fall asleep curled up next to her in the dream, and wake up by Uru instead."

The darker teen felt a pang of sympathy for Zira's loss and quickly snuggled up to her, giving her as caring a nuzzle as she could. "It'll be okay, Zira. You just have to remember the good things, like Mufasa was saying. She'll always be with you, and in the meantime, you've got me. I've never had a sister before. It's nice."

Zira quirked an eyebrow, momentarily abandoning her melancholy in light of her confusion. "A sister?"

Sarabi explained. "If Uru is kind of a mother to you, then that makes Mufasa kind of your brother. Mufasa and I are supposed to end up together one day, so that makes me kind of your sister."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," said Zira after a long pause.

"But you didn't say you disagreed," Sarabi smiled triumphantly.

No, thought Zira as she nuzzled Sarabi back. She didn't.

* * *

"– and then I scared them off, and saved him," Mufasa exclaimed, beaming.

"It's true, Your Majesties," Zazu bowed again, slightly. He had a habit of doing that whenever he addressed the king or queen. Ahadi's emerald eyes burned into the pair, searching for the truth.

"You saved this hornbill from three hyenas," he repeated.

"Three hyena pups," Mufasa corrected.

"Where?"

"Uh. It was out past the watering hole," the golden prince answered vaguely. Ahadi sighed.

"I am only going to ask this once. Did you leave the inner kingdom, Mufasa?"

Mufasa hung his head as he admitted the truth. "Yes, father."

"I believe I've told you on several occasions not to venture through that part of the kingdom alone. Why did you disobey me?" the lion demanded, voice growing stern.

"I was... bored..." Mufasa answered, shifting his weight from left to right and back again. Mufasa knew that it was the wrong excuse to use.

"You were bored," Ahadi shook his head in disbelief. "You were willing to risk your life for a little entertainment? If those pups had been adults, you would be _dead,_ Mufasa!"

"I could have run away –" the prince started. By this point even Zazu's smile had faded.

"– and they could have chased you," interrupted Queen Uru. "Mufasa, the animals outside our kingdom are not subject to our laws. They do not abide by the same set of morals that the creatures of the Pridelands do."

Ahadi took back over from his mate, grateful that she had stepped in to emphasize how dangerous it was for younger lions like Mufasa to venture too far from the pride's home. "They would have killed you and left your body for the vultures to pick at. Do not ask me to bury my son's remains, Mufasa. _Do not._"

Mufasa stood staring at his feet for a long time, overcome by guilt and shame for disobeying his parents even if nothing bad had happened. "I'm sorry," he answered unsteadily. He felt like crying, he truly did.

"You know why we are so strict about this, don't you Mufasa?" asked Ahadi, making his tone more gentle.

"It is because we love you. We don't want to lose you. Either of you," Uru turned her gaze to their other son, Taka, for a moment.

"We care about our sons more than anything else but we can't always watch over you. We made these rules to protect you, and we need you to heed them," Ahadi said. He lifted a paw and softly placed it atop his son's head. "I know what it's like to get older, Mufasa, believe me I do. I remember what it feels like to get your first taste of independence. It feels like you're a lion and not merely a cub, but it is a misleading feeling and if you give in to it it will lead you to disaster."

"One day you will be the lion you were meant to be, Mufasa, but until that day arrives you will obey your parents. Do you understand what we have told you?"

Mufasa looked up at his father from beneath the paw placed on his head and nodded. Ahadi then drew him into a tight hug, one that Uru joined; Zazu only just barely got out of the way in time, fluttering to the floor of the den at Pride Rock in a hurry.

"We love you, Mufasa," she said. "Never forget that."

"And no more adventures to the outer kingdom," Ahadi added.

"I promise," choked Mufasa.

The family drew apart, all smiling. The king then cleared his throat and looked over at his mate. "I don't go often, but I am going to go for an evening patrol tonight in light of... well. I will return, Uru," Ahadi promised. The lion and the lioness nuzzled, and then Ahadi turned to depart the den.

The King of Pride Rock paused as he passed Taka, however, and their emerald eyes met. "Thank you, Taka, for listening to us and staying in the inner kingdom today. We love you very much, too," Ahadi said, hugging his second son as well.

Taka smiled at the praise, but he knew that part of the reason for his smile was that Mufasa had just gotten in serious trouble. Inwardly he laughed, too, that he had not yet been caught sneaking off to the border territory on either of the occasions he had dared the journey. It seemed he was finally better at something than Mufasa was, and it was still his little secret. "I love you too, father," the russet lion said, nuzzling the king before he left for good.

"So Zazu," Uru said, peering down at the young hornbill kindly while she ran a paw up and down Mufasa's back gently. "How far is it to your home?"

"Oh, I'll just... if it's not too much trouble, Your Majesty, may I sleep just outside your den? My mother wouldn't think much of me flying around in the dark on my own," Zazu answered sheepishly.

"It's no trouble at all, Zazu," said Uru with a smile. "You're welcome to stay until morning."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Zazu said, bowing very deeply again.

"You're a very respectful bird," Uru laughed. "Your mother has taught you well."

"Again, thank you," the hornbill repeated proudly with yet another bow. He was pleased to find that Queen Uru was exactly as considerate as he had heard; he seemed rather impressed by – to use his term for it – her magnanimity. After righting himself and bidding the lions good night and pleasant dreams, he stretched his wings and followed Ahadi's example in leaving the den, searching for a suitable tree to roost in until sunrise.

"Now, where is Zira? It's time we all went to bed," Uru announced. "Would you mind finding her for me, Taka?" Taka nodded, then padded off to search the rest of the den for the striped lioness his mother had taken in after the girl's own mother had died in a hunting accident.

"I'm sorry, mom," Mufasa said suddenly. "I didn't mean to..."

Hushing her oldest son, Uru placed her paw atop Mufasa's and offered him a gentle smile. "It's all right, Mufasa. Tomorrow is another day."


	14. Messages

On the northern outskirts of the Pridelands a very hungry lion stalked silently, slowly raising each paw and testing the ground before placing his weight into each step to avoid breaking twigs or any other debris. His eyes remained fixed on his prey, a female springbok. His approach was perfect – due to the careful nature of his technique he had provided himself an opportune moment to leap from his hiding place and make his kill. Male lions only hunted when they did not belong to a pride; that didn't mean they couldn't be good at it. There was no motivation like desperation, and this lion was very, very desperate.

The pride he was from had fallen on hard times, to put it simply. Treachery and circumstance had turned prosperity into disaster and death, and tragedy had followed as surely as sunset eventually follows sunrise. They were now a ragtag group of survivors: bitter, cynical, and full of hate, clinging to life with a resentful but merely tenuously sane grip. His sister was right to flee and seek asylum elsewhere all those years ago. He would have left a long time ago himself if he had not believed so strongly that their king could turn things around for them.

He trusted the old lion more than he trusted anyone else, and not merely because he had named him as his right hand after everything fell apart. They had nearly lost him, too, but against all odds he had survived to lead them through their trials. Without his direction they would all have been dealt a much heavier blow than the one they endured, the strike that ended their pride's nascent influence in the savannah. Oh how the lion wished they could go back to those days– but then, now wasn't really the best moment to reminisce about their pride's golden era, the age when they were young and strong and proud. He had a job to do.

The springbok, a variety of antelope known for its leaping and sprinting ability, stirred anxiously. Her herd had already been attacked and scattered scarcely half an hour before now, and the strange scents that meant predators used this place for hunting made her feel ill at ease in her new surroundings. Her ears flicked back and forth, straining to hear the sounds that marked the approach of the strange beast that had attacked her family before. Finding nothing, she bent to nibble tentatively at the grass by her feet… and died, her neck and windpipe crushed by a set of powerful jaws that closed around her throat with absolute finality.

Her limbs danced irregularly as she instinctively tried to resist the sudden onslaught but the wounds were fatal and she succumbed quickly, going limp in the lion's maw after only a few moments more. The razor-thin male dragged the deceased animal through the tall grass, almost going out of his way to disturb as much of the surrounding landscape as he could, and left her sitting prominently on the raised surface of a boulder.

"Sorry, sorry, but orders are orders," said the lion to the corpse, shaking the dust out of his mane after laying the springbok's carcass aside. Truthfully he would have dearly loved to haul this kill into the open savannah and gorge himself for a change, but he wouldn't be returning entirely empty-handed. Behind him a short distance from here, concealed in a thicket of tall grass, was a nearly identical springbok, though of course she was slightly larger than this one. There was no point in leaving behind the best, after all. Not for this.

"One for me and one for you," chuckled the lion, his dark lavender eyes coming to rest on the distant Pride Rock before he turned to retrieve his earlier kill and return to where the others were waiting. With any luck the Pridelanders would get the message loud and clear.

* * *

Taka woke early the next morning, rising before anyone but his father who was already absent from the den. He rolled over and stretched, groaning in satisfaction as his joints popped, and then pushed himself to his feet. A short ways away his mother, Queen Uru, and his friend, Zira, laid beside one another in deep slumber. A little further his older brother, Mufasa, was splayed out on his back with one paw scratching at his belly. The golden prince snored lightly, twitching every so often as he chased some imagined prey animal through his dreams.

The russet prince smirked at the sleeping form of the golden prince. He hadn't looked nearly as content last night when their parents had been scolding him for going into the riskier areas of the Pridelands alone, thought Taka. There had been something about watching Mufasa getting into trouble that had made his little brother a very happy young lion. It put all thoughts of making Mufasa look bad out of his mind – for the moment. Mufasa was very capable of making himself look bad, as he had just demonstrated.

Turning his head to survey the remainder of the sleeping pride Taka's emerald eyes sought out the light cream coat and the soft feminine figure of his friend and crush, Sarafina. She was not difficult to find, nestled up against her golden-cream mother's belly and breathing slowly the deep breaths of peaceful sleep.

Taka didn't often dream, but when he first began to notice Sarafina as only someone who was more than a friend might, his sparse nighttime visions began to include her in roles of greater and greater prominence. Nothing inappropriate, but oftentimes he would dream of being alone together with her while Mufasa, Sarabi, and Zira were away doing other things. He wanted to spend time with her even when he wasn't awake.

But she didn't want to be with him. She had probably dreamed about Mufasa the way he had dreamed about her, pushing him to the side even when she wasn't awake. It stung.

Perhaps, however, there was something that Taka could do to change her mind. The mandril shaman Rafiki had encouraged him to apologize to Sarafina for the way he had treated her after his feelings had been hurt by her silent rejection of the russet prince. He was definitely going to tell her he was sorry. What was more, after what he had witnessed his brother do yesterday Taka's mind had been churning out idea after idea, all of them dangerous and spectacular and doomed to fail...

Except one.

What did a fairly intelligent teenage lion, a very pretty adolescent lioness, and three bumbling hyena pups have in common? A very intense and meticulously planned rescue operation resulting in Sarafina coming to terms with the fact that, yes, Taka was worth noticing too. If Taka had his way, that was.

The only catch was that it would have to wait until his father's suspicion had decreased. King Ahadi had gone on an extra patrol last night after Mufasa confessed he had found hyenas within the Pridelands, and as usual he had gone again this morning. It would be some time before Taka would be willing to risk making the journey out to the border lands again. Both of his parents would be on alert for a little while, in any case, and would either watch their sons more closely or provide them with some kind of incentive to stay nearer to Pride Rock. Taka hoped it was the former.

It wouldn't be so bad being stuck near Pride Rock for today, at least. The girls all shared a two days on, one day off training schedule – which meant that today was their free day. Only Sarabi had lessons on these free days, as she was still expected to meet with his mother to work on preparing her to rule as future queen. Those meetings never ran long, though, and before long Sarabi would be joining the others.

Taka strolled out of the den and into the morning sunshine, paws pressing against the deliciously cool stone slopes of Pride Rock as he made his way to the ground below. Mornings were his favorite time of day – it was bright enough to see well without being overbearingly hot.

"A good morning to you," called an unfamiliar voice. Taka stood a little straighter and looked around him in confusion. He was the only one awake right now except for his father, so who had spoken? "Up here," indicated the voice. Taka's head swiveled up to a nearby tree where his gaze found the bright blue bird that Mufasa had saved from his hyena underlings just yesterday.

"Ah, it's... Zuzu?" Taka tried.

"That would be my mother," Zazu replied huffily. Taka shifted, recognizing words he'd spoken only a few days before when the hyenas had asked about his name. "No, Your Majesty. My name is Zazu."

"A pleasure," replied Taka. "And apologies for forgetting your name."

"Think nothing of it," smiled Zazu. "Where is Prince Taka off to so early in the day?"

"I don't know," Taka answered truthfully. "I thought I'd wait by the watering hole until the others woke. It would give me a chance for some peace and quiet."

"Would you mind if I joined you?" Zazu asked. "After yesterday I could use a little peace and quiet, myself."

"Not at all," Taka lied. The last thing he wanted in his tranquil morning was this loudmouth squawking at him the entire time, but he wasn't about to treat the pride's guest of honor so rudely.

"Thank you very much," Zazu nodded. He fluttered down beside Taka. "Lead on, Your Majesty. I don't know the way to your pride's watering hole."

Taka did so, Zazu taking to the air behind him. Along the way the hornbill barraged the lion with a constant stream of questions about life in Pride Rock and what it was like to be a lion. In annoyance, Taka finally turned the tables on the bird and interjected with a question of his own.

"What were you talking about the other day, when the hyenas attacked you?" he asked irritably.

"Oh, that. That's – hold on a minute. How did you know I was talking before those nasty mongrels accosted me?" Zazu asked.

"Mufasa told me," the russet lion explained immediately. He was getting rather good at lying.

"Ah. Yes, Mufasa probably would have overheard if he was near enough..." he thought aloud. "Well, in either case, it's nothing," Zazu blustered. "I was merely practicing my diction."

"Your diction," Taka repeated, lifting an eyebrow.

"My vocabulary. Phraseology. Word choice."

"I know what it means. I just don't understand why," explained Taka. Zazu really was a pedantic little thing, Taka thought.

"Well," considered Zazu, "I have always wanted to make something of myself, and I thought perhaps I could provide service to the royal family of the Pridelands delivering messages. To be honest, your brother rescuing me was just the chance I have been hoping for. I have something of a problem with nerves, you understand, and could never work up the courage to venture this far – or meet with lions, for that matter."

"How old are you, exactly?" Taka inquired. Lions were considered apex predators so he wouldn't fault Zazu for being afraid of them, but being afraid to fly to the inner kingdom? It wasn't that far, thought Taka. The trip here and back to the border lands wouldn't even take half a day.

"In avian terms, I'd wager that I'm no older than you or your twin. It's only been three months since I left the nest," Zazu announced proudly. After living in his mother's enclosed nest for the better part of his childhood Zazu was quite glad to be considered grown enough to venture away from home even if he hadn't been able to until quite recently.

"I see," Taka said, permitting a silence to rise between them while he lapped from the watering hole. This time, thankfully, Rafiki was not around to push him in from behind. When Taka pulled away from the water's surface Zazu cleared his throat, clearly intent on speaking some more. This had been what Taka was thinking of when Zazu first asked to come with him.

"I was wondering, young master, if it would be possible for you to persuade the king and queen to accept my services. You seem like an intelligent fellow, and well – I could use your assistance in the matter," Zazu confessed. Taka wondered how long Zazu had been working up the nerve to ask even him.

"My father doesn't need anyone's help," Taka said drily, "but my mother might be open to the possibility. Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Zazu's face fell. "You won't help me?"

"I'm afraid I don't have much influence with my parents. I'm the _other_ son, you understand," said Taka bitterly.

"Rubbish," scoffed Zazu. "No parent prefers one of their children over the others."

"When you've spent as much time being me as I have, you tend to notice the way others notice you," retorted Taka. He smiled smugly while Zazu considered his slightly confusing reply. Clearly the hornbill wasn't as fast a thinker as he was.

"I still don't believe it. Your parents seemed very supportive to me. Didn't your father hug you, too, before departing on patrol?" Zazu said.

"The exception to the rule, I'm afraid," muttered Taka. Zazu shook his head in disappointment.

"You remind me of some relatives on my mother's side of the family," said Zazu disappointingly, thinking of his two cousins. They had attitudes every bit as sour as Taka's was and were difficult to get along with at the best of times. Taka seemed pleasant enough but just below the surface the observant hornbill thought he detected some deep-seated resentment issues lurking. "But very well. Thank you for the chat, Prince Taka. I hope your relationship with your parents improves. In the meanwhile, I'll take my leave and give you your solitary morning back. Farewell!"

Taka watched the bird flutter away, back toward Pride Rock, and then turned away in disgust. His relationship with his parents was just fine. It's just that they and everyone else, including Sarafina, liked Mufasa more.

Not for long, thought Taka with an idle smile as he allowed one of his forelegs to dangle in the cool waters beside him. Not for long.

* * *

Uru's eyes fluttered open, quickly adjusting to the half light of the den. Being careful not to wake the resting adolescent girl beside her as she stood, the queen drew herself away from Zira a short distance and automatically began grooming herself in preparation for the day. One, two, three licks to her paw, then one careful rub behind her ears. Repeat six times for each side. Then her back, then her sides, then her belly, then her paws and tail. This early cleaning ritual was the last vestige of her youth, a youth spent primping and preening herself to perfection. She no longer did it to attract attention or look beautiful, however. A queen should look presentable; it was part of her duty to maintain her image as the head of the pride.

As she washed behind her ears her amber eyes fell on the sleeping form of her oldest son, Mufasa, and her muzzle split into a wide grin. Mufasa always had been a very active sleeper, often accidentally waking her up in the middle of the night as he rolled around to get comfortable when he had been small enough to fit alongside Taka in the safe embrace of her lithe limbs. Seeing him sleeping contentedly with his belly in the air was all too amusing.

The Queen of Pride Rock continued to sweep her gaze across the den as she cleaned herself. Here and there other females and their cubs were beginning to stir, but Taka it seemed had left early. It was odd, she thought, peering outside to see if her younger son was resting in the open air and finding nothing. Taka ordinarily waited in or near the den in the morning. He must have been thirsty.

While she gazed out across the distant Pridelands a small blue speck appeared, growing steadily larger and larger as it fluttered nearer to Pride Rock. Eventually it took the shape of the brightly colored hornbill Mufasa had saved from hyenas out near the border the previous day. To her slight surprise, he fluttered gracefully right down beside her.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," chirped Zazu anxiously, bowing yet again.

"And to you, Zazu," greeted the queen, running her tongue down over her chest in careful strokes. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough, Your Majesty," the hornbill replied, "though I can say with full confidence that the trees closer to Pride Rock are much more comfortable than those further out. My compliments, Your Majesty."

Uru chuckled. "Don't attribute nature's gifts to me, young one. I didn't put the trees there or make them grow."

"I suppose you're right," said Zazu. Mufasa interrupted their quiet conversation with a sudden snore, heaving himself over onto one side. The hornbill watched Mufasa yawn, stretch, and then return to the world of dreams, still smiling contentedly. "Heavy sleeper, isn't he?" he asked.

"Exactly like his father," Uru noted with an amused smile. "Morning patrols will be the bane of Mufasa's existence once he becomes king, but duty is duty."

"About that, Your Majesty," Zazu interjected. He suddenly seemed very nervous and began shifting his wings and tail feathers. "I was hoping, erm, that I might... you see, it has always been something of a dream of mine to... ah, now how should I say this?"

Uru ceased her grooming and gave him her full attention. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, Zazu. I promise that I don't bite."

The hornbill laughed awkwardly, eyes drawn to her lips and the sharp teeth he knew waited behind them for a moment. "Yes, Your Majesty. As I was saying – I have heard stories that the lions of Pride Rock once used birds for messengers and the like, and I have practiced long and hard to become as eloquent a speaker as I can be so that I too may have a chance to serve the royal family. I was hoping you would accept me as your humble servant."

And at this, Zazu bowed the deepest and most respectful bow he could, bending over so far his lengthy beak scraped the floor of the den. Uru, laughing at his display, gestured for him to stand up straight.

"You're very eager, aren't you? I would love to grant your request, but I don't know if Ahadi would approve," Uru said. Zazu looked rather crestfallen.

"But aren't you the queen? By birth?" he pleaded. Uru smiled sadly.

"We make our decisions together, Zazu. I will speak with Ahadi about it, but I cannot promise we will give you what you ask," she informed the hornbill. It seemed as though he had deflated, the way the poor thing's posture was slumping. She felt pity for him.

"That... that's quite all right, Your Majesty," he said, doing his best to soldier on in light of this most keen disappointment. "I will await your decision."

"You know," said Uru suddenly, struck by a sudden thread of inspiration, "Mufasa will be king one day and he may need a messenger. He might even enjoy the idea of having one now. I'll bet that if you talked to him about it he would be more than willing to make an agreement with you, even if Ahadi and I decide not to," the queen said kindly.

Zazu seemed to perk up a bit. "He did save my life," the bird reasoned. "What better way to repay him than this? How long does he usually sleep, Your Majesty?"

A voice from the royal family's sleeping spot answered in Uru's place. "As long as you'll let him. Mufasa asleep is indistinguishable from a rock." The lioness and the bird turned to regard the trim form of the adolescent Zira as she stood and shook the sleep from her frame.

"Good morning, Zira," welcomed Uru, gesturing to a place beside her. Zira took it hesitantly, looking down at the strange bird with an expression of curiosity.

"What's that?" she asked the queen, pointing toward the blue hornbill with a paw. Zazu puffed his chest out indignantly.

"I don't think much of your manners, Your Majesty," the hornbill retorted. Uru shifted a little uncomfortably but Zira laughed it off.

"Uru isn't my mother, beaky." she smiled.

"Well, I _never,_" huffed Zazu. "I suppose that explains it. Are all commoners as cheeky as this one, or is your behavior merely a byproduct of your teenaged hormones?"

"'This one?'" echoed Zira, mildly offended that he would refer to her like that and then call her both a commoner and imply she was on some kind of hormonal mood swing. "Oh no. _This one_ is as cheeky as they come." And she grinned even more widely, showing off her many teeth.

"Zira," Uru said softly. The adult's voice was gentle, but there was an unmistakable warning tone behind the simple use of the striped lioness's name that left no room for interpretation. Zira instantly dropped her aggressively teasing stance and turned her red eyes up to the queen.

"Sorry," Zira said, a contrite expression forming on her muzzle. Uru shook her head.

"Not to me," replied the queen.

Zira looked back down at Zazu. "Sorry," she repeated. After a brief period of hesitation the bird nodded.

"Apology accepted. I, too apologize," said Zazu. Uru began stroking Zira affectionately, proud that her surrogate daughter had resolved this little disagreement. "I'm Zazu," added the hornbill.

"Zira," the adolescent introduced herself.

"Charmed," said Zazu. "Now about Mufasa. How much later can I expect him to sleep in?"

"Not much later," answered Zira. She stepped away from Uru, around Zazu, and bent her head to whisper something in the golden prince's ear. "Mufasa," she hissed loudly enough for her voice to carry, "it's time for your bath."

"I'm clean!" he interjected at once, sitting bolt upright and looking around him in a panic.

Zira smirked in amusement, her crimson eyes twinkling. Zazu, who had not been expecting the prince's reaction, had to cover his head with a wing to hide his laughter. Even Uru was laughing so hard her shoulders shook.

Mufasa scowled back at Zira while other onlookers stared. "Ha, ha. Very funny," he yawned. "What time is it?"

"Well past sunrise, Mufasa. Good morning, by the way," his mother said, stepping forward to nuzzle him. Mufasa pressed back against her, stifling another yawn as he caught sight of Zazu.

"Oh. Hello again, Zazu. Didn't you sleep outside?" he asked sleepily.

"I did indeed, Your Majesty. We flying folk rise with the sun," Zazu beamed, obviously very proud of his acute punctuality.

"Unlike others we know of," Zira teased, looking pointedly at the heir to the throne. Mufasa made a face at her that she quickly returned.

"Zazu here has something he would like to ask you, Mufasa," Uru interrupted before the two adolescents could take their teasing any further. "Let's head down to the watering hole, Zira, and see if we can find Taka."

The two females departed and were shortly followed by the hunting party, leaving Mufasa to watch Zazu expectantly while he fished for the right words to phrase his request.

"Something to ask me?" he asked, cocking his head to one side. Was this about the saving-his-life thing the other day?

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Zazu. He was having a much easier go of things this time around, considering he had already worked up the nerve to ask and the two had gotten to know one another a little on yesterday's walk to Pride Rock.

"You want to carry messages for me," Mufasa repeated once Zazu had finished explaining his proposition. The hornbill looked extremely apprehensive all of a sudden but honestly, to Mufasa the idea sounded – "cool," grinned the prince. Zazu's eyes grew wide with pleasant surprise.

"You mean, I may?" Mufasa nodded at his smaller friend, still smiling. "Oh, thank you Your Majesty! I am extremely honored!"

"So uh. Now what?" the golden prince asked. He didn't exactly have anything for Zazu to do, although maybe he could have the hornbill give his friends greetings for him just for the novelty of the experience...

"I must be off to tell my mother the good news. I need to see her in any case – after last night I'm certain she's worrying herself half to death over me. Oh, she'll be so proud!" Zazu beamed, stretching his wings in preparation for his flight homeward. Mufasa watched the small bird depart again, here riding a thermal current to soar higher, there flapping his wings to maintain altitude. In a way he didn't regret breaking his parent's rules. Zazu probably wouldn't ever have flown again if he hadn't.

"What are you looking at?" asked a familiar voice, one full of sincere curiosity. Mufasa turned his head, perhaps a little too abruptly, and came nearly muzzle to muzzle with Sarabi. Her orange eyes widened in surprise, an expression mirrored by the pride's heir. They stood staring at one another like that for several moments before Mufasa quickly turned away.

"Nothing," he said, fighting the swooping sensation in his stomach. _Pretty eyes,_ he remembered. The night of their betrothal, he had noticed that Sarabi had very pretty eyes. "Let's... let's catch up with mom and Zira."

"All right," Sarabi agreed. There were some things Sarabi still wanted to speak to Mufasa about but now did not feel like the right time. She hesitated just long enough to make sure she wouldn't be walking at Mufasa's side, then followed him down to the watering hole.

* * *

Ahadi stood, looking down at the dead springbok. It was still mostly intact except for a few places where a few carrion birds had picked at it, stripping small pieces of meat from the carcass. The springbok had been sitting here for long enough to attract their attention, but the king knew this was the work of a larger predator, and that could mean only one thing. Whatever lion had killed this springbok had done so for sport, a thing strictly forbidden within the Pridelands. Ahadi did not doubt that it was the work of the two rogues seen on the northern border on the day of the storm. He had come here then, too, intent on running them off, and found Rafiki instead. Evidently they were not put off by whatever the mandrill had done to keep them from entering the Pridelands, though; Ahadi had always thought it more likely they had returned to the open savannah to find shelter from the poor weather.

He would have to have a word with all of the lionesses now about the potential threat on the northern border. None of them were permitted anywhere near the rise that marked the pride's boundary alone, and if they had to venture to this area they were not to do so without alerting the rest of the pride first. Ahadi would not take any chances until he felt certain the danger had been addressed – permanently addressed, if the king had his way.

The king dragged the kill toward the watering hole, making good time due to the large size difference between lion and prey. It was best not to let the animal's death be a complete waste even if its murder was completely unjustified. That was another issue, thought Ahadi. This animal's herd would want reassurance that it had not been a Pridelander who had done this terrible thing and they would want to know that the crime was being looked into. But it could wait. Ahadi's primary responsibility was his pride, not the antelope herd.

He saw most of them relaxing in the usual spot as he approached, then abandoned the carcass for the pride to pick at if they were feeling peckish. The hunting party would be returning later in the day with a better supply of food, but at least now the antelope wouldn't be left for scavengers to feast on.

As usual it was Ahadi's mate who noticed him approaching the watering hole first; Uru always had waited for him in the mornings.

"Ahadi!" Uru greeted as she trotted to meet him, her body swaying lightly as she moved to nuzzle him. Her face instantly grew more serious as she drew nearer. "What's wrong?"

"Murder," Ahadi indicated to the dead springbok with a wave of his paw. "Rogue on the northern border. Two, I suspect. I need to speak to the lionesses about it."

"What about the older cubs?" Uru asked. Ahadi hesitated, then decided that they ought to hear what he had to say, too.

"Give me a few minutes to gather the cubs elsewhere," Uru said. Ahadi nodded. Neither the king nor the queen wanted the youngest members of the pride to hear about this. The queen placed one of her paws softly on Ahadi's foreleg, a light affectionate touch. "Rest for now, Ahadi. Once the little ones are busy, then you can present your findings to the pride."

Ahadi agreed, then stalked over to the water's edge while his mate began to work up a distraction for the pride's young, sighing in relief as he bent his head to drink. The heat of sun was growing even harsher, and with his dark mane, it always took some getting used to after a period of cooler weather.

"Ahadi?" Uru prompted, nodding toward the adults of the pride. "We're ready. The cubs are waiting for me – I had to promise to play a game with them – but you can fill me in later."

The king nosed his mate as she left his side, then took a steadying breath before he addressed the lionesses.

"Is something the matter, Your Majesty?" one of them asked as he drew himself toward the gathering, her ears pressed forward, alert. The king sat up, towering over the rest of the pride members. Ahadi was a very large physical specimen and had always cut an imposing figure.

"There has been an incident on the northern border. A springbok was killed and its carcass abandoned," Ahadi began. One or two of the lionesses stirred anxiously, but none of them appeared too disturbed by the news. As adults they all understood the Circle of Life and they knew it was a senseless waste, but though they felt compassion for the untimely and unnecessary demise of the poor antelope they did not appear to have read as far into its death as Ahadi had – but then, that was his job.

"During the recent storm I received word that two rogues had been sighted in that area," explained the king. That piece of news earned a more interested reaction from the lionesses gathered around to listen to the king. "My initial search proved fruitless but I feel that this has confirmed their continued presence on the outskirts of our territory. I do not want any of you to explore that area of the Pridelands until I have investigated further."

"I understand the need some of you have to bear young and I know that many of you have mated with rogues in the past. Please do not compromise your safety for a chance to conceive cubs. All the signs thus far point to a territorial challenge of some kind. These lions are hostile," Ahadi emphasized.

"Those of you with children, please remind them to stay close to Pride Rock. If your children are in adolescence or nearing adulthood, you should discuss this matter with them further as you deem appropriate – but shield the young ones. They do not need to spend their childhood in an atmosphere of fear or worry," concluded the king. "Are there any questions?"

Ahadi spent a few minutes addressing the concerns of the pride's adults, answering questions and giving his opinion on matters when prompted. When the question-and-answer session died down Ahadi brought the proceedings to a close.

"Very well. You now know what I know; I will keep you informed as I learn more. Please be careful – I do not want to lose anyone," the large golden male warned again, looking at each of the adults in turn. With that, he broke from the group to seek his mate. He and Uru would inform the hunting party together when they returned.

The russet-pelted female had used the time Ahadi's meeting provided to lead the cubs on a pretend hunting game of some sort through the tall grasses surrounding the pride's social gathering spot and had eventually brought them to the springbok Ahadi had dragged back from the border, presenting it as an early snack and a reward for all of their arduous labor during their first hunt. The game seemed to go over very well with the cubs, who all appeared to be ecstatic about their prize as they dug in together. One of them hugged Uru's foreleg tightly before she joined her friends.

Ahadi could not find it in him to smile at the sight, cute as it was. He was too occupied with thoughts of the dead animal and the reason it had been left behind in the first place – for it most certainly _had_ been left behind. But by who? And why?

It was a bold message. A _very_ bold message.


	15. The Prisoner

"Get off."

Shrill laughter echoed around the base of Pride Rock. The pride's princess, a russet-pelted female named Uru, was leaning heavily on a golden male with a healthy amount of dark charcoal fur growing around his head and shoulders. She fluttered her eyelids flirtatiously as she nuzzled against his chin.

"Get off," Ahadi repeated, trying to shrug her off of him.

"Not even one little kiss?" she asked, winding her tail around his and pressing into his thickly-padded chest.

"I said, _get off!_" snarled the lion, pushing her away hard. She stumbled, but caught herself before she collapsed. Uru looked up at him with an unreadable expression.

"What was that for, Ahadi?" she asked quietly. "That hurt."

"Good," the adolescent growled. Uru took a quiet step backwards.

"Why do you hate me so badly?" she asked.

"The same reason _everyone else_ hates you, idiot." Uru searched his emerald eyes but found nothing to indicate that he meant anything other than what she assumed he meant.

Ahadi didn't want her. It was her weird-colored fur, her commonly colored eyes, the stupid marking on her head for which she had been named. It was her larger-than-average build, the way she walked, the way she moved. Her intended preferred the other girls, with their beautiful cream fur, blue or blue-green eyes, and their feminine figures and graceful steps. No amount of grooming could change who she was.

Ahadi, grimly satisfied that he had finally struck Uru silent for a change, whirled on the spot and left her standing there staring after him while the thing she kept telling herself every night before she went to sleep fell to pieces: _yo__u're not ugly._

"You know, one day I'll be queen and you'll have to do everything I say!" she shouted at his retreating back. Ahadi didn't see the angry, hurt tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"You'll never make me do anything, Uru. _Never!_" he roared back. The teenager stomped away in a huff, not bothering to compose himself as he left Pride Rock behind. His rage poured out of him and he felt his claws slide into the open, carving little tracks before his footprints as he swept into the tall grass. It was some time before he fell to his knees and lay there, chest heaving, slowly calming down.

When life got too difficult to bear, this was what Ahadi did to cope. It was here, in solitude and surrounded by the beauty of nature, that Ahadi found solace from the pressures of his life. To be specific, the pressures of dealing with spoiled, bratty, clingy Princess Uru.

"I can't believe you would force me to be with her," Ahadi said aloud, but he wasn't speaking to himself. A lioness with fur exactly as golden as his own rose from her cover among the stalks of dry grass – Miadi, his mother. Her face looked impassive.

"You're getting better at listening for those attempting to conceal themselves. Your own stealth, however, leaves something to be desired," she scolded, eying the telltale signs of the teenager's temper that led to this exact spot.

"Is being a warrior all you think about?" Ahadi asked irritably.

"What was that you were shouting back there? Something something _never?_" the lioness pressed, acting as though she hadn't heard her son.

"Uru wanted to kiss me," he said at once. There was no shame in admitting this. Ahadi was not embarrassed that the princess was infatuated with him, merely disgusted. His mother pondered – or pretended to; Ahadi could never tell what she was really up to – for a few minutes before carrying on their conversation.

"And?"

The adolescent spluttered. "Are you kidding? This is Uru we're talking about, mom."

"I'm aware," the lioness grinned. "So how was it?"

Ahadi scowled darkly. "She wouldn't take no for an answer. I ended up having to use force to make my point."

The grin turned into a cold look. "Force?"

"Relax. I pushed her off of me, that's all." At this the lioness brutally shoved Ahadi to the ground, acting before he could ready himself.

"What was that for?!" he demanded, regaining his feet and fixing his mother with a wary gaze.

"Empathy is the greatest instructor of them all," she explained. "Be glad that all you did was push her."

"Oh, fantastic. I push her just a little and you knock me down, but she's allowed to climb all over me and you won't lift a paw in my defense?"

"She isn't my daughter to discipline."

"That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair," she yawned in a rather dismissive way.

"I noticed, thanks," Ahadi snarled.

"Tone," warned his mother automatically.

"I don't need your lecturing right now, mom," Ahadi ground his teeth together in frustration. Couldn't she see he was trying to calm down? "It's your fault I have to put up with her in the first place."

"It was an honor, and it was in your best interests," Miadi explained for the umpteenth time.

"If it's such an honor then you marry her," Ahadi spat.

"The Great Kings forbid you ever have a son as hardheaded as you are," muttered the adult. "Look, Ahadi. I know you're not thrilled about the prospect, but have you ever actually given her a chance? Gotten to know her? Maybe asked her about herself?"

"No, and I don't want to," Ahadi said curtly. Miadi sharply tapped the back of his head with her paw.

"Try it sometime," she ordered. The teen shoved her paw away.

"If it'll get you to leave me alone," he grumbled.

"King Mohatu wants to see you," the lioness interjected casually, changing the subject so abruptly that Ahadi nearly got whiplash trying to keep pace.

"And you're only telling me now?"

"I forgot." Miadi's voice was suspiciously humorous.

"Liar," hissed Ahadi.

"Tone," reprimanded Miadi with a smile. Ahadi, face twisted in an annoyed grimace, pushed himself to his feet and began the steady trek back to Pride Rock.

"Going to just leave your mother here without another word?" she called after him.

"Why not? You're going to follow me anyway," he replied. True enough, when next she spoke it was from a position at his side.

"I do have a heart, you know," she said in a much softer, much kinder voice than she had used for the majority of their discussion. "It worries me how often I see you coming out here, and sometimes I wonder if I made the right decision when I agreed to the betrothal. But it has to be you, Ahadi. There are no others. If you don't take your place in the Circle of Life, someone else will. Someone without your heart. Without your strength."

"I believe in you, Ahadi. I always have. I know it's hard for you, but I also know you can get through this. I've seen Princess Uru when she thinks she's alone, Ahadi. She needs you more than you realize. Be kind to her."

"But –"

"For me."

Ahadi hesitated, then nodded.

"I love you, Ahadi. I'm sorry life hasn't turned out as pleasant as you wanted it to. It happens," she said sadly, nuzzling the side of his neck. "But that's what tomorrow is for."

"Now go. And stand up straight for a change," she said, transitioning back to her usual self. As Ahadi continued homeward on his own he could have sworn he saw his mother wink at him over his shoulder...

* * *

Ahadi woke early as he always did, emerald eyes taking in the cool darkness of the predawn. He and his mate had slept side by side again last night, their faces touching. As he stood, Ahadi licked her forehead softly and she mumbled something unintelligible in her sleep.

_Be kind to her._

It had been one of the last conversations he had ever shared with his mother, right before she... Ahadi took a deep breath, then pushed the thought from the forefront of his mind. Rafiki's meddling had stirred old memories, the kind he would rather not give consideration to. But there was something there, something his subconscious was trying to tell him. It danced along the edge of his thoughts like an enemy lion keeping just out of sight in his peripheral vision. The feeling that he was missing something he couldn't place set Ahadi deeply ill at ease.

The drought, the king supposed. It had to be the drought. Ahadi had not lived through that period of pride history but every Pridelander lion had heard the fantastic tale of the great King Mohatu, who had led his pride through the most severe drought the kingdom had ever experienced. Now Rafiki claimed another drought would strike the Pridelands and Ahadi's mind was reaching back in time for something, anything, he could draw on to prepare him for the possibility.

His mind said that he needed Mohatu's help. His heart told him that he would never rely on that scoundrel for anything, not after what he did. This was his pride to rule over now, and he would rule it his way. Uru's father was dead. A ghost. A memory.

He glanced at the sleeping forms of his two sons before he departed for his morning patrol. Taka, off to one side with his paws tucked beneath his chin, slept quietly; Mufasa, his hindquarters on the raised platform while his front half dangled onto the floor below, snored lightly. They could not be any different if they tried, he mused. Fortunately, it seemed like his mother's plea to the Great Kings of the Past had not gone unheeded. Neither of his sons were as hard-headed as he was.

He did worry about Taka, though. The boy was changing, growing quieter. Ahadi did not want his youngest to withdraw from the pride entirely just because he would not be king one day, but this was not a problem that could be addressed while the adolescent was asleep and his father needed to attend to his duties. Perhaps he would spend time with the two of them today.

The sun had risen by the time Ahadi made his way to the rise on the northern border. Just beyond this natural boundary the landscape changed drastically from lush grass to one of two things: the cold, dead, bone-littered grounds of the elephant graveyard where no living thing dwelt willingly, or the scorched, cracked earth of the Outlands beyond, an expanse of badlands so inhospitable that no pride of lions had ever fought to lay claim to it. Both of these areas provided more than adequate hiding places for a pair of rogue lions, and with access to the Pridelands border to keep themselves supplied they could remain there for quite some time.

The king's emerald eyes swept the landscape for any suspicious signs and he breathed carefully to check the air for unfamiliar scents. Everything was still, quiet, ordinary. All was as it should be.

It wasn't until his circuit of the kingdom was nearly complete that he found anything out of the ordinary. The animal herds, which were typically stationary overnight, had moved from their last known position in this region of the Pridelands since the previous evening. Unless one of the lionesses had decided to go for a midnight snack, and Ahadi very much doubted that possibility, then he suspected the rogues that had been lurking the outskirts of the Pridelands had traveled southwest and spooked the animals. Ahadi moved to investigate.

He watched from afar as the zebra herd grazed quietly, their tails flicking at the flies that liked to pester them relentlessly. A breeze caused the grass to stir, rolling to the east in deep waves... except for in one spot, where the grass seemed to move contrary to the direction of the wind. The unnatural motion caught and held the king's attention. He stalked along to higher ground, green eyes fixed on the disturbance, and his persistence was rewarded. A lioness, thin enough for her ribs to show through her pelt, sat up to catch her breath. It was obvious that she was dragging another kill out of his kingdom.

"Halt!" he roared. She jumped lightly at his call but she immediately abandoned the carcass and fled. Ahadi gave chase.

He was the larger of the two by far and he quickly closed the distance, sprinting after her as hard as he could. She shot a panicked look over her shoulder but realized that she would never make it out of his territory before he caught her. Facing the inevitable, she spun to confront the king, dropping into an aggressive stance. Ahadi could see that it was an act of desperation, however. She didn't want to fight him. If he attacked, she would fight back, but she would have been too weak even in her prime to fend him off – and she knew it.

"You are poaching on Pridelander soil. State your business, rogue," Ahadi commanded at once.

"I am hungry," she said at last, out of breath from the chase.

"You've no right to hunt in our lands," the lion growled.

"Am I to die of starvation, then?" she snarled back.

"Someone as hungry as you would not kill and leave the carcasses to rot," retorted Ahadi. He took a step forward and she cringed away.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled.

"You will return with me to Pride Rock for questioning," Ahadi stated.

"And if I refuse?" the lioness asked. Ahadi snarled. "Oh of course," she said coldly.

"Walk," demanded Ahadi, nodding westward in the direction of the pride's home.

The pair continued onward in silence, the lioness walking on ahead, Ahadi following close behind her. The lioness did her best to maintain her dignity but her steps faltered. Ahadi stood on guard, ready to chase after her a second time if need be. Her act was not fooling him; he'd seen her run just fine mere moments before.

"Stop," the king ordered when they were within easy sight of Pride Rock. Some of the lionesses, including his mate the queen, had noticed them and were watching curiously from a safe distance. The lion and his captive waited while a delegation led by Uru approached the pair to see what was happening.

"Just let me go," she said quietly. Ahadi did not favor her with a reply.

"Ahadi," greeted Uru while the two lionesses beside her acknowledged him in unison as _Your Majesty._ "What's going on?"

"I caught her poaching near the eastern border," the king said. His voice was full of dark meaning.

"He caught me keeping myself alive –" interjected the lioness, but Uru held up a paw to silence her.

"Two rogue lions have been active in the north territory recently. We have reason to believe they are potentially a threat. Do you know either of them?" the queen asked.

"I was only trying to feed myself," the female protested weakly.

"Can you tell me your name?" Uru asked softly. Ahadi's eyes flicked toward Uru's, but she wasn't looking at him. The lioness looked between the king and queen and the two lionesses flanking the russet female, then decided she had no choice.

"Shari," the lioness answered in defeat. "My name is Shari."

"And the rogues?" The lioness called Shari shook her head.

"I don't know any rogues." Ahadi shifted behind her back; evidently the king did not entirely believe her.

"Are you certain?" Uru asked again.

The lioness suddenly approached the queen, nearly thrusting her face in Uru's. "I haven't eaten in nearly a week," she hissed. "I haven't stopped traveling for over a month. I. Was. _Hungry._"

"Mind your tone," Ahadi hissed in turn, looming over her aggressively.

"You have no right –!" the lioness snarled as she turned to defy Ahadi too, but it was one protest too far.

"Hari!" Ahadi roared, causing Shari to cower. The much larger lioness stepped forward wearing a look of intense disdain. She knew what was coming.

"Your Majesty?" she dipped her head politely.

"Escort this rogue to the lower cave. Watch her," the king commanded. Hari's orange eyes slid to the female beside the king.

"With pleasure," she replied, the corners of her lips turning up in a light sneer.

Shari shot Ahadi a look of purest loathing as she was led, against her will, to the unused lower cave at Pride Rock. Uru took a position beside her mate as they watched their prisoner. The lioness had tan fur and looked almost painfully thin. She appeared to be having a difficult time standing, let alone walking, and more than once Hari had to pause while she regained her strength.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" the queen asked softly.

"I do not trust her, Uru," answered Ahadi. "She ran just perfectly when I first found her, and she did not seem to be surprised to see me in the least. It reeks of suspicion."

"It could be mere coincidence," Uru reminded him.

"I do not believe in coincidence," Ahadi scoffed. A silence passed between the mated couple. Uru was the first to break it.

"Look at her, Ahadi. You can count her ribs from here," Uru intoned, pity making its way into her voice.

"We're not going to starve her any further," Ahadi insisted. Whatever else they may have been, the Pridelanders weren't cruel. "But we can't let her go until we know she's not going to pose a threat."

"I'll talk to her," Uru decided. "I appeared to have the most success getting her to speak."

"That would probably be best," Ahadi agreed, thinking how similar in nature to her father Uru was. She always had been able to persuade others to do or say what she liked, though she was more kind and straightforward about her desires than her late father ever had been. "But exercise caution. I know you are far from helpless, Uru, but I do not want to find you hurt."

"I could say the same about you, Ahadi," said Uru. "The borders have rarely been so active. Persistent rogues to the north, the hyenas Mufasa chased off to the south, now this lioness in the east... It makes me anxious, especially now that you're doubling your rounds of the kingdom."

King Ahadi licked his mate's cheek. "I'm not yet that old, Uru," he purred; she nuzzled him right back, pressing her face against his neck and rubbing gently. The third lioness who was still present, light-pelted and blue-eyed, cleared her throat awkwardly.

"We apologize, Makali," laughed Uru, breaking away from Ahadi. She turned back to the lion. "Didn't you say she made a kill, Ahadi?"

"I did," the king affirmed. "The carcass was left in a field in the outer kingdom east of here. Unless the vultures have found it first you'll need to find high ground to spot it through the grass, but it's there – you'll be able to smell it once you're close enough."

"Would you be kind enough to fetch it, Makali? But bring it to Pride Rock, not the watering hole," she requested. Makali bowed at once, then left to find Shari's kill. "I'm going to wait for her there, Ahadi, and I'll see that she's under proper guard until we can discuss it further. You should spend today relaxing by the watering hole with the others for a change."

"Thank you, Uru," Ahadi replied, nuzzling her a second time. He sighed in light exasperation. "Hyenas, rogues, a drought – what next, Uru?"

* * *

"May I come in?" Uru asked, peeking into the smaller lower cavern at Pride Rock. It was occasionally used for the sick or injured and the pregnant females when the time to deliver their litters came, but since the pride was currently in good health and none of the lionesses were expecting, it was empty except for its sole occupant. She had tan fur and a trim build to begin with, but her current state made her look more like a skeleton wearing a lioness's skin. The resting female gave a humorless chuckle.

"If I said no would you really leave?"

"No, I suppose I wouldn't," admitted the queen. "I would like to speak with you, Shari."

"Don't use my name like you know me," spat the lioness. "You're just some stuck-up pride lioness as far as I'm concerned. We're _not_ friends." Uru waited for her to finish snapping at her, then dragged part of the kudu carcass the lioness had left behind into the cave. Shari caught the smell at once in the enclosed area and lifted her head in curiosity. A look of sudden comprehension appeared on her face as she recognized what the smell was.

"That's mine," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"It is now," offered Uru. She left it within Shari's reach, then backed away. The lioness looked back and forth between Uru and the meal at her feet, but quickly gave in to the urge to feed and began hungrily tearing strips of flesh off the bones.

"What's with your lackey there?" Shari jerked her head toward the cave entrance where Hari stood just out of sight, standing guard.

"I apologize," said Uru while she ate. She lowered her voice so that it would not carry to her friend. "Hari is a fine lioness but she is not without her faults. She is not known to think highly of Outsiders, for example. Ahadi chose her to guard you deliberately. My mate did not approve of the way you were speaking to me."

"Well, _Your Majesty,_" Shari returned sardonically with her mouth half full of food, "please forgive my misbehavior. I don't know _what_ got into me."

"Shari," said Uru, utilizing the same tone of voice that always got results with her own children. Shari glared at her, but Uru's amber eyes did not waver. The lioness dropped her gaze.

"I'm... sorry," she said, returning to her meal the second the words were out of her mouth. Uru waited for Shari to finish eating and did not speak again until the lioness was trying to suck the marrow from the bones.

"Can you tell me where you're from?" she asked casually.

"Why should I?" Shari returned defensively.

"I could have let you starve," Uru reminded her. "I've been nothing but civil to you since you arrived here. I don't ask for much in return. Please indulge me."

Shari put her fragment of bone down slowly. "All right. I can give you that much. I come from out there, same direction you found me in. Things got bad, I left, and I'm not going back. Anything else you want to know?"

"How did you get that?" Uru asked, indicating a scar on the lioness's left flank. She grimaced.

"I made a friend one night," was all Shari said. Uru understood immediately and did not press the issue.

"One last question. I need to be sure. Did you see any other rogues near our borders? Are you traveling with them?"

"I already told you," answered Shari with a biting edge to her words, "I don't know any rogues."

Uru nodded. "I will speak with Ahadi on your behalf. For now, please remain here. You'll be safe, at least. I promise you that much."

"Can I have the rest of that kudu?" Shari asked. Uru could see the desperation in her eyes, and she departed the cave only to return a few minutes later dragging the entire corpse back inside. The queen turned to leave.

"Wait," called the prisoner. Uru looked over her shoulder. Shari appeared to be deeply conflicted about something, as she kept opening her mouth to speak and then closing it without saying a word. She trembled, too. Whatever she was trying to say had a lot of pent-up emotion behind it.

"You've been..." she said. Every word seemed like the result of an intense internal struggle. "I haven't experienced real kindness in so long, Your Majesty."

It wasn't intended to be rude or sarcastic this time, and Uru thought it was a good sign. "It's fine," the russet lioness began.

"Stop. Just... let me..." Shari took a deep breath. "Thank you, Queen Uru. For – you know. Thank you."

And a single tear made its way down her cheek. Shari blinked it away quickly, then did her best to ignore the other lioness as she fell to on the kudu again. Uru didn't say anything. She knew that Shari would understand.

* * *

"That one looks like a stampeding wildebeest," Mufasa pointed out.

"In what is possibly the slowest stampede in Pridelands history," quipped Taka.

The two brothers were laying side by side on their backs looking up at the clouds as they drifted idly by, driven slowly onward by some unseen high altitude wind. In addition to the stampeding wildebeest the pair had thus far spotted elephants riding birds, half of Pride Rock, a stand of Acacia trees, Rafiki, hyenas, and...

"And there's dad," Mufasa pointed out.

Taka squinted at the cloud, then looked at his brother with a dubious expression. "That looks nothing like father, Mufasa."

"Not the clouds," laughed Mufasa. "Dad!"

Taka sat up so he could see over his brother's chest and saw that King Ahadi was indeed coming to join them in their private little patch of grass beside the watering hole. He lay back down, uncertain whether to be happy to see his father or disappointed that he was probably going to interrupt the leisure time he had been spending with his older brother. They didn't seem to have much of that any more.

"What are the pair of you up to?" the king asked, wasting no time in taking a place between his two sons who shifted aside to make room for him.

"Watching the clouds," answered Mufasa.

"Have you found anything interesting up there?" Ahadi asked, looking to Taka first. He blinked his bright green eyes in surprise. It wasn't often that Ahadi paid him more attention than his brother.

"Bits and pieces, assorted animals," listed the russet adolescent at once. "Nothing too fascinating."

"I think I see a stampeding wildebeest," the king said, pointing. Mufasa laughed triumphantly.

"I saw it, too," he announced proudly. Ahadi ruffled Mufasa's growing mane.

"Shows where our minds are," he laughed. The lions had yet to eat as the Pridelander hunting party had not returned "What about you, Taka? Are you hungry, too?"

"I'm getting there," he answered vaguely. "How was the morning patrol, father?"

Ahadi's gaze darkened. "Let's just say I found an intruder."

"Did you chase him off, dad?" Mufasa asked, peering up at the golden lion. The king shook his head.

"No. I brought her back to Pride Rock for questioning." Mufasa's face lit up, but his father had already read his mind. "No, Mufasa, you can't listen in."

The adolescent blew a strand of his growing mane out of his face. "No fun," he grumbled.

"Why question her, father?" Taka asked cautiously. Prying into royal business was always a touchy prospect for the younger prince and he didn't want to upset Ahadi.

"If she is involved with the other rogues on the northern border, I want to know about it," Ahadi answered. "Consider it a matter of pride security."

"What if she's not?" piped in Mufasa.

"You two have many questions today," chuckled Ahadi. "Why are you so interested?"

"Nothing exciting ever happens around here," whined Mufasa.

"Because being betrothed isn't exciting enough for you, I suppose," said his brother. Mufasa's ears lowered to his head. In a way he'd kind of forgotten about Sarabi.

"I meant aside from... that, Taka."

"There was also that thing with the hyenas," Taka added.

"Well –"

"And your attempt to spy on the hunting lessons," said the younger brother, doing his best to stifle his laughter. When Sarabi brought it up at dinner that evening everyone had had a good laugh at Mufasa's expense.

"Taka," scolded Ahadi.

"What?" Taka put on an innocent smile.

"Well, those things don't count," protested Mufasa. "What's so exciting about watching girls hunt, anyway?"

"I can think of a few things," said Ahadi cryptically, though the thought appeared to soar directly over his sons' heads.

"So what will you do if she's not with the other rogues? The ones who left that antelope carcass on the border?" Mufasa pressed. He was not easily dissuaded.

"We'll have no reason to keep her under guard, so we'll probably let her go with a warning," Ahadi said.

"'Probably?'" Taka asked. Ahadi regarded him carefully, but decided to explain so that his children wouldn't get the wrong idea. They weren't going to execute Shari, after all.

"The life of a rogue is a dangerous one. If she is willing to abide by our laws, we may give her the chance to join our pride," the king explained.

"Just like that?" asked Mufasa, surprised by how simple the prospect of joining a pride seemed to be.

"It wouldn't be the first time," said Ahadi. Mufasa furrowed his brow but it was Taka who had the answer.

"Zira," he pointed out.

"Oh, yeah," Mufasa grinned sheepishly. He'd nearly forgotten Zira hadn't been born here, and with the way Sarabi had always used to treat her he couldn't imagine how. Perhaps he'd just spaced out.

"There is a difference, though. Kasiri and Zira came to us looking for refuge," said Ahadi.

"So this rogue will mostly likely just go back to the open savannah," Mufasa mused. His father nodded. "Can we meet her first?"

"No, Mufasa. Why are you so eager to see this lioness?" Ahadi questioned.

"I don't know. I've never met a rogue before," Mufasa said.

"They're like us, but without any pride, and they don't bathe as often," said Taka. He scratched his chin idly, pretending to be thinking. "So, in a way I guess they're a bit like you, Mufasa."

"You're one to talk, Taka," laughed Mufasa. "You used to hate when mom gave us baths worse than me!"

"At least I grew out of that enough to bathe myself," returned Taka.

"Says the guy who still makes noises when he eats," Mufasa shot back.

"Boys," chided Ahadi, chuckling deeply at the interaction between them.

"What?" they asked in unison. Ahadi looked between them, then pulled them both against him with his strong forelegs.

"Hey!" protested Taka, pushing against his father's chest with his paws to keep from being pinned uncomfortably.

"Lemme go!" Mufasa demanded. He had not reacted quickly enough to stop Ahadi from crushing him in a muscular, one-armed hug.

"I don't know, I kind of like spending family time this way," laughed the larger lion as his two sons wriggled against his grip. "It's much more enjoyable than listening to you two bicker."

"All right, all right, we'll stop!" conceded the older brother. Ahadi loosened his grip and the pair slid away, putting some distance between

"What was the point of that, anyway?" asked Taka. "You could have just told us to stop."

"I was simply proving that your old man is still the strongest lion in this pride," shrugged Ahadi. He stood up and shook his mane almost tauntingly as if to say, _See this? It means I'm the best._

"You're too strong. It isn't fair," grumbled Mufasa.

"Life's not fair, Mufasa," Ahadi laughed, quoting his mother. "Now, let's go and see if the hunting party has returned, shall we?"

"Numerical advantage," Taka mouthed to his brother when their father wasn't looking. Mufasa grinned mischievously, then joined his younger brother in executing a sneak attack the moment their father's back was turned.

* * *

The gloomy fog of the Elephant Graveyard clung to the landscape like an oppressive shadow, blocking out much of the heat and light of the savannah sun. In a way the relief was soothing, but given the nature of the location it had an unsettling effect. Thicker clouds of mist, roiling in the slow air currents of the many bone-littered channels and ravines, appeared and disappeared suddenly like phantoms of the deceased. Anyone who spent enough time here would surely start to succumb to the effects of an agitated imagination, and who could blame them? Like a monochrome blight on an otherwise colorful world, this entire place was dead – even the sky.

"I don't like it here. It's downright spooky," a lioness was complaining.

There was a group of four of them gathered in a semicircle around one of the large elephant skulls that were to be found here and there in this maze of bones. They spoke in hushed tones, appropriate for the above-ground mausoleum they had taken refuge in.

"But it's close," said another of the females. She chanced a wistful glace southward. The Pridelands lay in that direction, they all knew.

"I still prefer a little sunlight every now and then," the first lioness reiterated.

"The Outlands are just as close," laughed a third female, currently occupying herself sharpening one set of claws on a nearby stone. "Would you rather live there?"

"No," the initial speaker was quick to answer, much to the cruel snickers of her fellow lionesses.

"Then you oughtn't to complain. Beggars can't be choosers, you know."

"Oh, they can," said a fifth voice, interrupting the conversation. It was deeper, more masculine, than the rest of the females' voices were. Before long the lion it belonged to became visible through the mist, striding toward the gathering proudly with his head held high.

"Kani," sighed the anxious lioness. "It's only you."

"Some greeting," he scoffed, his deep lilac eyes hardening at once. One of the more confident lionesses returned his words with a look of disdain.

"Well, we weren't expecting someone as useless as –"

Two red eyes, flashing brightly even in the semidarkness of the Elephant Graveyard, pierced through the veil of haze that obscured the landscape. The silhouette of the lion whose eyes they were materialized alongside Kani, emerging from the shadows in absolute silence. All of the females shifted uncomfortably, but the one who had been about to insult Kani now wore a look of alarm.

"You were saying?" smirked the other lion. They wouldn't dare insult him now, not in His Majesty's presence. Kani spoke for their king; to disrespect him was to disrespect the lion who commanded them all.

"Welcome, Kani, Your Majesty," she corrected herself, nodding to the former but bowing to the latter along with all the other lionesses. The elder lion, evidently a king of some kind, maintained a steady glare in her direction while Kani addressed the group.

"So! His Majesty has decided that this will be our new home for a while," Kani began, speaking oddly cheerfully considering their surroundings. "It's secluded and close to the Pridelands, which will allow us to keep tabs on their activities without attracting much attention to ourselves."

"Where's the food?" asked one lioness.

"All in due time," promised Kani with a smile. "We did just eat recently, you know..."

"One antelope split seven ways is hardly a meal," grumbled the tawny female. "Why couldn't we have taken more?"

"Because we want to conceal our true numbers from the Pridelanders," the lion answered in the most condescending voice he could muster. Some of the other lionesses laughed at the way the hungry female was put down.

"When can we eat again, then?" she persisted, ignoring the hushed jeering of her comrades.

"We don't hunt in the Pridelands until His Majesty orders us to," Kani stated. "But feel free to eat anything else you can find out here or in the territory west of the graveyard. It's slim pickings, but food is food."

The lioness didn't look appeased, but she dropped her line of questioning.

"The next phase of our plan is to wait, lie low for a while, and continue to bait the Pridelanders until an opportune moment arises."

"An opportune moment for what?" asked one of the females.

The lion with the piercing crimson eyes abruptly raked the claws on his right paw across the rocky floor before him, showering the small gathering in angry red sparks that quickly fizzled out of existence. The brief flickering lights briefly illuminated his face, making him truly visible for the first time since he had joined the meeting; his muzzle was twisted in a triumphant sneer.

Kani faced the lionesses and smiled. "You get the picture."


End file.
